A Good Elven Servant Is So Hard To Find
by Amphryxia
Summary: After hearing of a villainous Marquise that is trafficking in Red Lyrium, Leliana and Kallian infiltrate an Orlesian estate to put a stop to it. However, Orlesian society being as it is, they're forced to enter in different ways: Leliana as an honored guest, and Kallian as a humble maidservant.
1. Chapter 1

"We'll be coming up on Amelia's estate soon." Leliana said languidly, looking out the carriage window at the Orlesian countryside.

Kallian had her fill of the countryside around them some time ago. Southern Orlais was beautiful to look at, but perhaps not for hours on end. Instead, she had been taking in the finer details of Leliana's appearance. Her friend had let her hair grow longer recently, and the copper color shined nicely in the sun. Kallian had let her own hair grow out, but the pale blonde color of it tended to look washed out in direct sunlight.

"Is your cousin truly as rich as she sounds?" Kallian, city elf and Hero of Ferelden, asked Leliana in a similar bored tone.

The hours they had spent bumping along dirt roads in a rented carriage had taken a toll on them both. Kallian had thought that a nice, relaxing ride through the forest to Leliana's cousin's estate was just the thing she needed to unwind herself before beginning their task. That might have been true if the ride hadn't been quite so long.

"You'd think she was the Empress herself with the way she talks. Amelie is a Marquise, but her family's finances have suffered as of late. I think that the pressures of keeping up appearances have caused her to become involved in the trade of Lyrium." Leliana answered, still looking out the carriage window.

"Not just Lyrium though, yes? Your informant said that a different kind of Lyrium was also being moved through. Some kind of red tinted Lyrium?" Kallian asked curiously.

"Yes. I've never heard of such a thing, but he seemed to believe that it was even more dangerous and toxic than the usual kind." Leliana responded, her brow creasing.

"If it's true, then we were right to come here. Someone needs to put a stop to it." Kallian said firmly.

"I'm sorry for pulling you into this, Kal. This was supposed to be a vacation of sorts." Leliana said apologetically, turning to look at Kallian with a bit of guilt in her eyes.

"Don't worry about it. To tell the truth, I was getting a little too relaxed. Some spy work will be a nice break from it all." Kallian assured her.

A visit to Leliana's home country of Orlais had been Leliana's idea after Kallian had confided in her friend about her relative unhappiness. The city-elf turned Warden had found that being the Hero of Ferelden had made Ferelden a surprisingly unpleasant place to live for her. Kallian didn't particularly like being the center of attention everywhere she went, but more work needed to be done for her people. With Alistair's assistance, Kallian had already shepherded through a handful of royal decrees that had improved the lives of her fellow elves in Ferelden. But she had been wary of going too far, too quickly. Change could only come to a society so fast before a frightened backlash developed. If that happened, many city elves would lose their lives in riots against them. Kallian had done what she could for now, and had to trust the next generation of elven leaders would carry on her work. Someday she would return, but until that point, Kallian would enjoy her relative inconspicuousness in Orlais. That the Hero of Ferelden was a city elf was widely known there, but there were many different rumors about what she looked like. Rumors that she was taller than any human, or had skin as white and pale as the moon, were surprisingly common to hear. She even embellished a few herself in some of the taverns they had visited, to Kallian and Leliana's deep amusement.

Of course, being an elf in Orlais presented problems of its own. Humans, even complete strangers, seemed to feel that they were entitled to order her around. After teaching the first few dozen humans that antagonized her (Lords, Ladies, shopkeepers, even a Chevalier or two) that not every elf was there to bow and scrap for them, Kallian had grown weary of the constant fighting. The ignorance of some of these Orlesians was bottomless and knocking out bigots where she saw them would be an endless task. Besides, Kallian had gotten her fill of conflict during the Blight. It was much easier to simply offer a bow and move out of the way of some haughty human than to fight them, as temporarily satisfying as it was to knock some sense into their thick heads. Leliana had gotten into her share of scrapes on Kallian's behalf, which was a larger part of the reason why the Ferelden city-elf now sought to avoid conflict where she could. The possibility of Leliana getting hurt for her sake was something that Kallian didn't like.

The change in Kallian's attitude resulted in a much more peaceful trip. They were able to relax finally, at least until Leliana had run into an old friend at a tavern in Lydes. Leliana's friend, a bard called Damien, eventually told her of a rumor he had heard about the Marquise that ruled outside the city. He said that the noble lady was trafficking in Lyrium, and the ingenious way that she had dodged suspicion was to use a network of city elf servants to transport it. The Chantry controlled the legal trade of Lyrium, and the usage of city elves kept the Marquise's activities beneath their notice.

Black market trade was not something that would ordinarily bother either of them, but Damien had also said that he had heard rumors that the Marquise was moving a strange, red kind of Lyrium that was doing harm to the elves transporting it. Besides that, it was unclear what was happening to the people that were ultimately receiving it. After bidding Damien goodbye, Leliana and Kallian had discussed it for some time before agreeing that something had to be done. There was an easy excuse for Leliana to travel to Amelia's estate, as they were distant cousins and she would be received warmly as a guest, but the same was obviously not true for Kallian. There was, however, an obvious and effective way for the city elf to gain entrance to the estate and begin gathering information among the servants...

"I know you've said that you're okay with this, but are you really sure that you don't mind going in as a prospective servant?" Leliana asked gingerly.

"I told you, it's fine. I did some work as a maid when I was in the Denerim Alienage. Most every elven female does at some point." Kallian answered easily.

"Being a servant in Orlais is not quite the same thing as in Ferelden. You'll be expected to have a perfect grasp on the proper etiquette." Leliana warned.

"I'll learn quickly. I'm sure they'll understand if a Ferelden barbarian doesn't possess their level of sophistication right away." Kallian assured her friend, reaching over to pat Leliana on the arm.

"Your elven compatriots will teach you, I'm sure, but they probably won't be gentle. Wayward servants sometimes get the switch, I've been told. One bad apple makes the entire group look uncouth, so they're not going to be happy if you make a mistake." Leliana warned Kallian again, sounding more doubtful by the minute.

"I stopped being scared of the switch when I turned 15. It's nothing to worry about." Kallian said with a laugh.

"If you say so. Look, we're coming up on the estate now." Leliana said, turning her head to look out the window of the carriage.

Kallian turned to look outside as well. The distant white walls of Marquise Amelia's country manor gleamed in the sunlight even from here. If Amelia's finances were in difficulty, no one would know it from the outside. The manor house was huge, with a large central building connected to two smaller, though still impressive, buildings on either side. As they got closer, Kallian could see other details like a gleaming fountain at the entrance, and a smattering of buildings that were dwarfed by the manor house. There was a stable, a blacksmith, storage buildings and two slightly larger buildings that Kallian thought were probably quarters for the guards and servants, respectively. On the other side of the manor, far away from them, were vineyards that stretched a long way into the distance. People walked between the vines, and though they were too small for Kallian to make out for sure, she knew that the laborers out there were her people.

* * *

"Cousin! It's been years!" Marquise Amelia exclaimed warmly, meeting Leliana at the marble steps at the entrance to the manor.

"Too true, cousin. As soon as I stepped foot in Orlais again, I knew I had to visit." Leliana said to Amelia with equal warmth.

Kallian watched them both embrace from her place at the bottom of the steps. Amelia was wearing an ivory mask along with a richly embroidered violet dress. Leliana wore her traveling wear, but the soft cloth and quality leather were evidence that she was not poor. The same could not be said for Kallian. The need to appear as nothing more than your usual humble city elf had caused her to leave her weapons behind and to don a slightly itchy brown dress that she had purchased for a handful of bronze pennies back in Lydes. Kallian couldn't help but feel quite shabby in comparison to either of them.

"I've prepared a feast tonight to highlight your visit, cousin. But first, you must get out of those dusty clothes and into something more refined." Amelia said graciously, stepping aside and extending a hand to lead Leliana into the manor.

"Thank you. It would be my pleasure." Leliana answered politely.

"Oh? And who is this?" Amelia asked in a doubtful tone, having spotted Kallian at the bottom of the steps.

"A refugee from Redcliffe. We met on the road in Ferelden. In return for my protection, she offered to become my maidservant until I could find her a more permanent placement. I could not leave the poor thing behind." Leliana explained, rather condescendingly.

Kallian smiled vaguely and offered Amelia a practiced curtsy. Being spoken off as if she wasn't there was a common occurrence in Orlais, she had found. Amelia, being a noble Orlesian, saw nothing amiss with talking about a city elf as if she couldn't understand Common.

"How gallant of you, cousin. I think we can make a place for her here. Unless you wish to keep her in your service?" Amelia said breezily, turning to look at Leliana.

"I think she'll be more comfortable in a manor house, especially one as beautiful as yours." Leliana answered offhandedly, sounding as if she didn't particularly care what happened to Kallian.

"Wonderful. Now, elf, go find my work foreman. He's the one wearing a large white hat." Marquis Amelia enunciated slowly, as if Kallian would have difficulty understanding if she spoke too quickly, and punctuating the whole thing by miming a hat on her head.

"Yes, Your Grace. Thank you." Kallian murmured, curtsying once more.

Kallian watched as both of the women disappeared into the manor. She had been forgotten, just like that. It was tempting to take this opportunity to try to ferret out information on her own, but it wasn't a good idea. It was unlikely that the humans here would notice an extra servant wandering around, but the elves would certainly notice a stranger among them, and Kallian would never get anything out of her fellows like that. With a heavy sigh, Kallian instead turned and went to find this foreman, telling herself that it was all to save the people who were in danger from this Red Lyrium.

* * *

After getting a much appreciated bath and donning a vermillion dress Amelia had lended her, Leliana had spent most of the afternoon in the garden, conversing with the minor lords and ladies that had formed Amelia's noble entourage. It wasn't likely that Amelia had confided in these low-level players, so Leliana was able to split her focus between conversation and looking for Kallian.

She had spotted her friend after about an hour. Kallian had put on the same white servant's dress that every other elf was wearing and had blended in well enough. Kallian's light blonde hair made her stick out somewhat (hair that pale being quite unusual among Orlesian elves). Her motions lacked the polish of her fellows, and she had the tendency to look the human nobles in the eye instead of keeping her eyes generally downcast, but none of the other humans seemed to notice. Elves were of little concern compared to engaging in their low-level version of the Game.

The sun had set quickly, and Leliana joined Amelia's entourage as they moved to the large tables that had been moved to the middle of the garden. More elven servants appeared, carrying bottles of wine and plates laden with the first course. Kallian was one of them, and Leliana raised her empty glass as her friend was walking by with a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy. Kallian gave her a look before dutifully filling Leliana's glass. As Kallian bent down to pour, Leliana whispered so that only her friend could hear.

"We'll talk after dinner. Wait for me to summon you." Leliana whispered softly.

Kallian gave an almost imperceptible nod and moved on. Leliana watched Kallian go and then tried to refocus herself. Leliana was here to find out what she could about Amelia's criminal operation. Noticing how appealing Kallian looked in a dress that was, for once, sized to fit her smaller frame was not at all helpful to that end.

* * *

(I love exploring relationships where there is a clear socio-economic difference between the people involved, so the city elves of Dragon Age are quite fun to write about. But the question is, what do you think about the direction I should go in here? I could focus chiefly on the plot, with a little romance/smut thrown in, or I could focus on the possible romance between Kallian and Leliana, or I could take advantage of Kallian's vulnerable position as a maidservant to engage in some interesting smut. Let me know which you'd prefer in a comment, and I'll absolutely take it under advisement!)


	2. Tasks, Baths, and Threats

Kallian hadn't yet managed to find anything out regarding their mission, but she was rapidly becoming reacquainted with the mundanities of life in the Alienage. She had been given a white servant's dress and had been pointed towards the kitchens by an irritable elf woman with fiery red hair who seemed to be in charge of the rest of the servants. Kallian had wasted no time in getting out of the woman's sight.

As Kallian stepped into the kitchens, she saw a flurry of activity. Elven servants were running around at a frantic pace. It probably had something to do with the impromptu feast that Marquise Amelia had declared for Leliana's visit. In typical human fashion, Amelia likely didn't care a whit about the immense workload her servants would have to do because of it. Seeing her kin in distress caused Kallian to quickly volunteer her services to the elf who looked to be in charge of the kitchens. After some quick introductions, the woman (a dark-haired elf named Jocai) put a potato peeler in Kallian's hands and pointed her toward a veritable mountain of potatoes in the corner of the kitchen.

Others might have balked at the demeaning task she had been confronted with, but Kallian had simply gotten to work at peeling them. If it needed to be done, then it needed to be done. Her father had taught her from an early age that there was no such thing as a task that was too small. Everyone had to pull their weight. If everyone did, then everyone could share the credit. Chasing personal glory was selfish and detrimental to the community, so Kallian had been taught growing up. She'd stopped believing it as a teenager and, at the time, had wanted nothing more than to have an adventure of her own. But now that Kallian was older and had experienced some of that "glory" and "adventure" for herself, potato peeling didn't seem that bad.

As her task required little thought, Kallian spent her time watching the others. She needed to think of a way to rapidly gain the trust of her fellows. Talking about elves that had gone missing, especially when it was connected to their noble employer, was dangerous for the elves working here. They would only open up to her if they thought she was one of them, but Kallian didn't particularly want to spend weeks or months working here to gain their trust the usual way. She would have to come up with a compelling gesture, and in the meantime, speed the process up by acting as they did. And what everyone else was doing now was deferring to Jocai.

It was to be expected. Respecting your elders was very important in city elf society, and Jocai was older than anyone here. She was only middle-aged, but as the rest of the female servants were younger, (Kallian included) she was the de facto Elder of the group. In places like these where families were split up, such women often became mother figures to the rest. Kallian made a mental note of that as she realized the mountain of potatoes in front of her was becoming steadily smaller as she worked her way through them. Suddenly, the irritable-looking elf woman that Kallian had gotten her dress from entered the kitchens.

"Can't you get these girls to move any faster, Jocai? The Marquise is getting impatient." The woman complained, going right up to Jocai.

"They're going as fast as they can, Niale." Jocai returned testily.

Kallian watched the two women continue their petty argument and began to understand the real issue here. Niale seemed to have greater authority than Jocai despite being younger than her. That was because Marquise Amelia had given her that authority, and either didn't know or didn't care that it went against the natural way of things for the elves working here. It was clearly causing friction, and Kallian's immediate instinct was to not get in the middle of it. But it might be to her advantage if she did it correctly. It had taken her nearly an hour, but Kallian had peeled every potato in front of her. She got up from the table and made her way to where the two women were still sniping at each other.

"I'm finished, Ma'am. What should I do next?" Kallian interrupted, addressing herself to Jocai.

"Get a bottle of brandy from the wine cellars and join the others who are about to serve the first course!" Niale snapped before Jocai could speak, clearly annoyed at not having been addressed.

Kallian nodded and quickly left the kitchens, feeling Niale's angry gaze on her back. If the short-tempered woman was disliked among the servants (and Kallian thought she definitely was) then getting on the elven woman's bad side would endear her to the others.

* * *

"Take this away, elf. Bring me some elderberry tart and be quick about it." A masked noblewoman ordered Kallian as she walked by.

"Yes, My Lady." Kallian answered automatically, picking up the woman's plate from the table.

Kallian longed to deflate the swollen egos of some of these human nobles but knew she couldn't afford to do it right now. Revenge, if she still wanted it, would come later. These minor nobles had attached themselves to Amelia for their own benefit, but when Kallian and Leliana uncovered proof of the Marquise's illegal activities, then these nobles would be brought down as well. It was something to hold onto while her pride took a few hits. It was one thing to do menial tasks for her own people, and quite another to do it for the arrogant humans who employed them.

Kallian hurried back with the noble woman's preferred dessert and moved away quickly before the human could give her more orders. As she walked, she passed Leliana, who was deep in conversation with the other humans at the table. Kallian had been quite annoyed to discover that her friend hadn't lifted a finger since they'd arrived. While Kallian was peeling potatoes, fetching drinks and serving food, Leliana had been on the receiving end of the work that had been done by the elves in Amelia's employ. Her friend was simply fulfilling her role as they'd discussed, but Kallian was still annoyed at the inequality of the treatment they had each received. And the fact that she could say nothing about it right now was making her even more resentful. Kallian was quite looking forward to giving Leliana a piece of her mind later on when they met.

* * *

Leliana crossed the hallway from the guest room she was staying in over to the bathroom across the hall. She had requested Kallian's presence up here but had needed to supply a reason for doing so. The only thing that came to mind was that she wanted to take a late night bath and preferred that Kallian, rather than some servant that she didn't know, attend her.

Unfortunately, Leliana didn't really think through her request. It meant that Kallian was saddled with the task of hauling many buckets of hot water from the kitchens all the way upstairs. Leliana thought of herself as fairly brave, but she didn't think twice about staying in her room until the bath was filled. She didn't want to bump into her friend beforehand and face her wrath any sooner than necessary. As soon as Leliana entered the bathroom, she found Kallian in a predictably foul mood.

"Did you need anything else? A late night snack? Perhaps I should serenade you with a song while you bathe?" Kallian asked waspishly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm sorry, Kal. I know it's been tough-" Leliana started.

"Tough? Only if you consider peeling every single potato in Southern Orlais, then pouring drinks and serving food for a feast I never got to taste, then washing mounds of dishes, then making twenty trips up and down the stairs for your bath to be tough!" Kallian said angrily, sounding as if she really needed to blow off some steam.

"I'm sorry. I should have been more considerate. Really." Leliana said placatingly.

Truth be told, Leliana had given very little thought as to how much work had to be done to create the feast their arrival had caused. It was disturbingly easy to put it out of mind because the elves here would take care of it, and that was their job, wasn't it? Had she never met Kallian, she might still be as ignorant of their plight as most humans in Orlais were. Kallian's angry look faded as she took in Leliana's apology and acknowledgment about how the day had gone

"...It's okay. I knew what I was getting into beforehand. It's actually not that different from the Alienage." Kallian said with a sigh, sitting down at the edge of the bathtub.

"But it's not all bad, right? That dress really suits you, for one." Leliana said brightly, venturing a compliment now that Kallian had calmed down.

"It suits me?" Kallian asked doubtfully, her eyebrows furrowing dangerously.

"N-Not because it's a servant's dress! I meant that it fits very well. Better than the brown dress you had on." Leliana explained swiftly, feeling far less eloquent than she usually was.

"Oh. Thanks." Kallian said, looking down at herself as she hadn't given much thought to it before.

"Look, why don't you take the bath instead? You definitely deserve one." Leliana offered, motioning to the bath full of hot water behind Kallian.

"That's probably not a good idea." Kallian said slowly, looking at the steam coming from the water longingly.

"Nonsense. Go for it. I would give you some privacy, but people might wonder if I'm not in here." Leliana said apologetically.

Kallian looked as if she was debating with herself, but Leliana had to imagine that her friend's tired muscles would win the argument. Just as she thought, Kallian eventually stood up and pulled off her simple white dress. Leliana tried her best not to stare. After being on the road together for a while, they had both been nude in front of each other before. But somehow, it seemed different now. From the way that Kallian blushed and got into the water quickly, the feeling was mutual.

"I don't have an instrument with me, but perhaps you'd like a story?" Leliana asked brightly, sitting on the gleaming white bidet next to the bath.

"Alright." Kallian answered readily, searching for a bar of soap.

Leliana had already told Kallian every story she knew, but there was one that never failed to hold her friend's interest. The story of Aveline was Kallian's favorite, and despite the bittersweet ending, her city elf friend would always be in a better mood by the end of it.

"There was once a brave woman who fought for the poor and downtrodden. Her gallantry was matched only by her strength and skill..." Leliana began, her voice becoming more lyrical as she spoke.

* * *

Kallian left Amelia's impressive manor feeling better than she had all day. The warm, relaxing bath she had taken had melted the stress off her body. She didn't even mind the fact that Leliana would have a large room with a luxurious bed to herself, while Kallian would have to sleep in a tiny bunk in the crowded servant's quarters.

The servant's building was small for the number of elves that were employed here, but that wasn't surprising. Most buildings in the Denerim Alienage were tiny and could only be called shacks if the speaker was feeling generous. City elves had long adapted to their cramped conditions in the Alienage though, with entire families living together in single rooms. Kallian had grown up that way as well. Truth be told, Kallian didn't really mind herself. It had always felt cozy and safe to have her family all around her as she slept.

The servant's building was dimly lit with torches at the entrance. As Kallian neared it, she was confronted with an unpleasant surprise. Niale stepped out from the shadows and blocked the entrance. Kallian tensed up at this. There was no movement around them, and Niale had no weapons on her. Still, Kallian was wary of the way Niale was glowering at her.

"We weren't properly introduced earlier. You know my name by now, but I don't know yours." Niale stated in what was probably supposed to be a civil tone.

"It's Miakis. I'm pleased to meet you, Niale." Kallian supplied politely, inventing the name on the spot.

"Well, Miakis, you're new here, and I wouldn't expect a Ferelden elf to understand by herself, but we need to clear a few things up." Niale said intently, looking Kallian aggressively in the eye.

Kallian's first instinct was to meet the woman's gaze head on, but decided that antagonizing Niale when no one was watching would not be helpful. Instead, she looked away quickly and gave the elf woman the satisfaction of seeing her back down.

"Okay. Such as?" Kallian asked uncertainly.

"Such as your mistaken view as to who is in charge. It's me, in case you didn't know. Not Jocai, and not anyone else. You get your instructions from me, and you do exactly what I tell you. Understood?" Niale demanded, taking a slight step forward into Kallian's personal space.

It seemed that it wasn't just the humans here who were in dire need of getting their egos punctured. Kallian was quite certain that she could take Niale in a fight, but couldn't see a positive outcome, when it came to their mission, in leaving Niale in a senseless heap outside the servant's building. It might well impress her fellow elves, but it would also frighten them and mark Kallian as dangerous. It was with a heavy heart that Kallian decided that submitting to Niale was the better course of action.

"Yes, Niale. I understand." Kallian said hastily, offering the other elf a deep curtsy in the hope that it would satisfy Niale's human-like desire for power and respect.

"Good. I hope you do. Because otherwise..." Niale said archly, trailing off.

Niale made a slight movement with her hands at her waist, and Kallian looked down. There was no weapon there, assuming she didn't count the thin, flexible strip of wood hanging down from her belt as a weapon. It wouldn't do any good in a fight, of course, but Kallian recognized a switch when she saw one. Now Kallian understood. Niale didn't get the automatic respect due to an Elder the way Jocai did, so threats and switchings were how she commanded it instead. Kallian's father had always said that stooping to corporal punishment was a mark of failure for a leader, but apparently, Niale never received that lesson. Kallian nodded once more to silently communicate that Niale's threat was received and understood.

Niale stepped aside to allow Kallian into the building, which she quickly entered. Kallian saw that her initial expectations were entirely correct. Close to two dozen elven women occupied a medium-sized room. Many small bunks lined the walls, and each was three rows high. Most of the women were already in their bunks. Some were chatting, and others were already asleep after the hard work the feast had required of them.

Kallian found an empty bunk near the door and climbed into it. Just like in the Alienage, the bunks looked to be originally built for human children. Elven men couldn't fit in them, so they would get their own more comfortable ones. But unmarried elven women (with a little squeezing in) could use them to sleep, and it would cost a lot less money this way than to make new beds. Kallian grumbled a bit as she tried to make herself as comfortable as she could. She could understand poor elven families wanting to save money wherever they could, but buying some new bunks would be a pittance for this Marquise Amelia. Apparently, the human noble didn't care about any discomfort her servants might be in.

Niale came in after a few minutes and the chatter died down quickly. Kallian watched as Niale dowsed the candles and shut the door, plunging the room into darkness. The chatter started up again, a little quieter this time, from the women who didn't want to sleep yet. Kallian could hear a couple of them who were near.

"Did you see that her hair was a little damp?" a woman whispered.

"I did! I guess in Ferelden, servants get in the bath too!" another woman whispered excitedly.

"Who requested her?" the first woman asked.

"Lady Leliana did! Do you think they're-?" the second woman murmured in the same quiet, but excited tone.

"I can hear you, you know." Kallian spoke up in the darkness, causing the other two women to fall silent.

That took care of that problem, but the foolish prattle she had heard was causing Kallian to imagine being in the bathtub together with an equally naked Leliana. Kallian tried to dispel the image without much luck, and she could feel her cheeks reddening. If the room had been lit, Kallian knew she would be blushing scarlet right now.


	3. Hunting Hallas

Leliana waited outside the stables in the morning sun. She had expected Kallian's presence at the brief repast she had shared with Amelia, but her city elf friend hadn't been among the servants who attended them. Leliana had gotten slightly worried about Kallian's well-being, but eventually spotted her when she left the manor to join Amelia's entourage for a ride through the forest. Kallian was among the throng of servants taking part in morning prayers.

That was something Leliana probably should have warned Kallian about. Freedom of religion was a core concept in Ferelden and no one was compelled to worship the Maker there. But the Chantry was much stronger in Orlais. Nobles like Amelia and her entourage could take part in religious services when it was convenient for them to do so, but craftsmen, laborers, soldiers (and most especially servants) were required to attend. Ferelden city elves mostly existed outside the sphere of the Chantry there, but that was not the case in Orlais. Leliana only hoped that her friend wouldn't make a scene.

"Are you coming, cousin? I am counting on you to be the one to bag us a white halla, if we should find it!" Amelia called to her from amidst her noble throng.

"Of course! My bow is yours, Your Grace." Leliana responded elegantly as an elven servant brought a horse out from the stables.

Leliana put her concerns about Kallian aside for now. If she succeeded in hunting one of the rare white hallas that roamed the forests of Southern Orlais, it would bring her Amelia's favor, and perhaps allowed Leliana to be brought into her confidence. The only problem was that white hallas were revered in Dalish culture. Leliana didn't know how or even if that knowledge had translated to city elf culture, but just to be on the safe side, she wasn't going to mention this to Kallian if she could help it.

* * *

Kallian knelt in the grass alongside her fellow elves as the local Revered Mother droned on and on. It had been an unpleasant surprise to find out that morning prayers to the Maker were mandatory for elven servants here. Well, mandatory in the sense that any elf who did not join in risked a switching from Niale. Kallian didn't immediately understand why the red-haired elf was so fierce when it came to everyone praying to the Maker alongside her, but then Kallian remembered that Niale's authority came from the humans here. Anything that encouraged submission to the human Chantry would bolster her own authority.

"And that is why your repentant ancestors made the brave and noble choice to disavow their wicked gods and accept Divine Renata's gracious offer to make a place for them within human society." The Revered Mother droned.

Kallian had learned enough in her travels to know that the Revered Mother's version of those ancient events was mostly garbage. The Dalish elves had been defeated during the Exalted March into their territory, and had been given two options: Submit and accept their fate as second class citizens in the human society that would be built over the ruins of the elven one, or hide in the corners of what was no longer their land and be outcasts. Kallian wasn't certain what she would have chosen, had she been there, but it was all ancient history anyway. Nobody could control what happened centuries ago. What mattered was making an effort to build a future that would be bright and hopeful for all.

The problem was that her fellow elves seemed to be buying everything that the Revered Mother was selling to them. Kallian saw, to her dismay, many of her kin nodding along in apparent agreement as the Revered Mother disparaged the ancient Dalish people as wicked and feral. Kallian didn't know the details of what had led to the conflict between races and thought it was unlikely that her ancestors were entirely blameless, but this human's continued attacks on her Dalish ancestors were making her angry. Kallian would have spoken up by now, but she had a pretty good idea of what would happen if she tried. The image of being dragged away by her ear by Niale to be given a switching came to mind.

Kallian knew that many of her fellow elves had been switched at least once by the ill-tempered elf who had been placed in charge of them. As unpleasant as the prospect was, getting a switching from Niale would probably make her kin accept her as one of them that much faster. But the time wasn't right. Most of the elves here believed whole-heartedly in the Maker, and would not be sympathetic if Kallian disrupted the Revered Mother's sermon.

"That is enough for today, children. Remember to give thanks in your thoughts to Andraste, and to always walk in the Light." The Revered Mother said, finally finishing her sermon.

"Thank you, Revered Mother." most of the elves intoned in response, with Kallian sarcastically mouthing the words.

* * *

Leliana crept through the forest as silently as she could. She had left behind Amelia's noisy entourage after discovering halla tracks near the path the group had taken. Leliana's skillset was more attuned to maneuvering through parties than woodland, but her quiet movement and skill at archery made her a passable hunter.

The halla tracks that Leliana was following could have been weeks old for all she knew. It didn't much matter, however, as there was no danger of looking incompetent among this crowd. Amelia and her noble friends were no hunters, and Leliana knew for a fact that most nobles trained with weapons only because it was fashionable to pose as warriors from time to time. This supposed hunt was a farce in which no one expected to come back with any game. But if Leliana was able to, she would gain prestige in Amelia's eyes.

Leliana followed the halla tracks to a small creek. They ended at the water's edge, which left Leliana little choice but to follow the creek downstream. As she walked along the bank, Leliana let her mind wander and found herself thinking about Kallian again. There had been some definite flirting between them after they had met in Lothering, but dealing with the Blight had always been far more important than starting a relationship. It was one thing to pass the time with some simple flirtation, and quite another to open themselves up to the complications of being in love.

After the Blight had been dealt with, Leliana had some small hopes about starting something real with Kallian. Unfortunately, her friend was always busy helping to draft new royal decrees aimed at helping her fellow city elves. Leliana understood, of course, and had decided that Kallian needed a friend more than a lover. She was able to perceive Kallian's unhappiness before Kallian herself did. Although her friend pretended otherwise, Leliana could see that Kallian didn't like the fame that had been foisted onto her. Despite Kallian's excellent leadership skills, being the center of attention all of the time was not to Kallian's taste. Leliana had brought up the idea of a long trip to Orlais mostly as a joke and had been quite surprised when Kallian had enthusiastically agreed.

They had set off together soon after. Leliana was still interested in Kallian romantically, but couldn't detect much interest coming her way. Thinking that they had simply been friends too long to be anything else, Leliana had set aside her feelings and tried to move past them. Leliana thought she had succeeded until she had seen Kallian in her servant's dress. If she was being completely honest with herself, it wasn't just the way that the dress had accentuated Kallian's slender body. It was also seeing Kallian look and act subservient. The idea of her city elf friend obeying her commands was...exciting, somehow. Even if Leliana certainly had no intention of taking advantage of their situation.

A flash of movement among the leaves drew Leliana's attention. It was very brief, but Leliana rather thought that it was white-colored. Leliana crouched down and crept forward silently. She carefully picked her way through tree branches and around twigs that would have snapped had she walked on them. Leliana reached a clearing after a few minutes and drew her breath in as she saw what was there.

A white halla drank from the creek in front of her. Its horns were longer than the horns of any halla Leliana had ever seen, and its fur was bright white. White hallas were thought to only exist as companions to Dalish clans. Wild hallas had brown fur, meaning that white ones could not generally be found here. Leliana had the stray thought that she should be unlimbering her bow right about now, but she could only stare in wonderment. How was it possible that she had stumbled onto one? Renowned hunters sometimes went their whole lives without seeing a white halla, and Leliana was a mediocre and infrequent hunter at best.

The halla looked up and turned to look directly at her. Leliana expected the halla to spring away, but it continued to watch her. Leliana slowly drew her bow and nocked it with an arrow, aiming for the halla's heart. She only had to let go with her fingers and an arrow would fly. But questions in her mind kept her from doing so. Was it more than just luck that had led her here? Why wasn't the halla fleeing? It was an animal, wasn't it? It should have some sense of self-preservation.

Then Leliana remembered what she had heard about Hallas among the Dalish. That they were not simply beasts of burden or livestock. The Dalish treated them as companions, and in turn, the hallas would watch out for the elves who traveled with them. There were no Dalish clans within a hundred miles of this spot, however, so how could it be one of their companions? It made no sense. The only elves around were city elves.

A bizarre explanation suddenly occurred to Leliana. Perhaps this Halla knew that city elves were dying while transporting through the forest the toxic Red Lyrium that Amelia was trafficking in. Perhaps it also, through some mystical mechanism, knew that Leliana needed to kill it to gain access to Amelia's inner circle. The idea was completely ridiculous. It was totally unsupported on any rational basis. And yet, as the halla continued to stare at her, it seemed like the only explanation for what was happening. Leliana breathed out and knew that the time had come to make a decision.

"Sorry." Leliana whispered softly.

Leliana loosed an arrow and watched it streak toward the white halla. The halla never flinched, even after the thrum of her bowstring reached it. Leliana's aim had been true and her arrow plunged right into its heart. The halla collapsed instantly. Seeing that made Leliana feel a little better in the midst of all the guilt that was coursing through her. The white halla's death had been as painless as she could make it. Now Leliana had to do what was needed to ensure that its sacrifice would not be in vain, and that no more elves would die from Amelia's greed.

* * *

Kallian moved from horse to horse, using the thick brush in her hand to massage the flanks of the large beasts. Orlesian horses were quite oversized in comparison to her. The plow horses weren't a problem, but the destriers and coursers were a head taller than she was. Kallian privately doubted that she could have gotten on top of them without the aid of stirrups.

It seemed unlikely that it was simply a coincidence that Kallian had been sent to work in the stables after her run-in with Niale last night. The work here was much more physical than in the kitchens, which is why few elves wanted to do it. Kallian hoped that Niale was only trying to give her a taste of what happened when the Head Servant was crossed, however insignificantly.

The sound of approaching hooves reached Kallian's ears. She looked out from the stables and saw Marquise Amelia and her entourage returning from the forest. From the looks of it, their boasting hadn't been as empty as Kallian had assumed. A white halla was trussed up between two riders, and Leliana was now riding very close to Amelia. Did her friend manage to shoot it? Kallian assumed that she did. Leliana's skill with a bow was very impressive.

Seeing the dead halla made Kallian feel melancholy, for some reason. She thought she remembered her father speaking of the significance of the halla to the Dalish people, but to her discredit, Kallian hadn't been listening very closely. When she had been a teenager, hearing about the ancient customs of a long-dead people held very little interest to her. Whatever dumb thing she had focused on instead was no longer of any importance (and had likely never been), and now Kallian was bereft of the knowledge of why she felt sad at seeing the trussed-up halla. But perhaps Jocai knew. Kallian made a mental note to ask her later.

The riders made a beeline toward the stables. Kallian went out to meet them, though she certainly didn't want to. Working all day in the stables had made her quite dusty and sweaty. After traveling together for a long time, Leliana had seen her that way plenty of times. But for whatever reason now, Kallian didn't want Leliana to see her so disheveled-looking. Kallian made certain to drift over to the other side of the group of riders so that she would take possession of a horse that Leliana wasn't on.

Oddly enough, Leliana looked even more uncomfortable than Kallian did. It was almost as if she didn't want Kallian to see her either. Kallian wasn't sure why her friend was acting like that, unless it had something to do with the halla. Did Leliana feel guilty about it? The thought that her human friend might know something about the halla's significance to elves that Kallian did not was embarrassing to consider. She made another mental note to ask Jocai as soon as possible. Regardless, Kallian waited for a human noble to dismount before leading her horse to the stables. More elves came from inside the stables to attend to the riders, allowing Kallian to lose herself in the shuffle of servants and horses.

* * *

"Well done again, Leliana. That white halla will be the jewel of my trophy room." Amelia said with a satisfied air, looking at Leliana with distinct pride.

"I look forward to seeing it there, Your Grace." Leliana answered smoothly from Amelia's immediate right at the large table full of nobles.

Leliana was glad that Marquise Amelia had no intention of serving the halla for dinner, as she could not possibly have eaten it. The fact that the brave creature would adorn a corrupt human's trophy room was not much better, but it was something that could be fixed later. Once Amelia was taken care of, Leliana vowed to give the halla the honor it deserved. Whether the proper send-off was with burial or with a pyre. Perhaps Kallian knew.

Leliana had felt a renewed wave of guilt when Kallian saw them return from the forest. Although she couldn't detect any judgment in her friend's gaze, Kallian was clearly uncomfortable. Leliana was sure she knew why, and she had already prepared several justifications for the next time they talked. They all sounded feeble in her head, and Leliana was starting to feel that it would be better to simply apologize and ask for forgiveness from her friend. At any rate, Leliana was glad that Kallian wasn't here to occupy her focus completely. She could play the Game without distractions at the moment.

"I hardly think that honorifics are necessary between us anymore. Please, call me Amelia." Amelia instructed gently.

Leliana smiled at Amelia and ignored the scowls around her. The grasping nobles that were vying for the Marquise's favor did not appreciate Leliana's newfound closeness to her. Leliana didn't particularly care, though. She had accomplished her first task in gaining her cousin's favor. Now it was time to carefully probe Amelia's finances.

"May I say again that your manor is lovely, Amelia? I'm glad to see that the rumors...well, never mind that." Leliana said with measured awkwardness in her voice.

"Rumors? Please, do tell." Amelia asked airily, though Leliana noticed a slight stiffening in the Marquise.

"Oh, people were just talking about the closure of the Summerstone mine outside Verchiel. The du Santoigne family had a large stake in it, yes?" Leliana asked in apparent casualness.

"Yes, we did. I cannot pretend that the mine's closure was beneficial to our fortunes, but there's no cause for concern. I have since ensured that our holdings are more diversified." Amelia answered easily.

Leliana knew that Amelia's words were too true. Expanding into the black market trade of Lyrium, even Red Lyrium, certainly counted as diversification. She could not give any hint that she knew about it, however. Leliana could only give the impression that she had a similarly mercenary mindset when it came to making coin.

"Of course, I should have known. If only I had a fraction of your knowledge when it comes to managing wealth, Amelia." Leliana said, sighing dramatically.

"I daresay you shall, if you continue to demonstrate such usefulness." Amelia assured her with a wink.

Leliana smiled at Amelia, though her knowledge of the woman's greed and corruption made her want to gag. Leliana knew that the arrow she had shot today had ended up in the wrong heart. The Orlesian justice system was a laughable farce when it came to punishing wealthy nobles like Amelia. The only way to make certain that the Marquise's evil acts were finished was to kill her. But not yet. Amelia had business partners that would doubtlessly bring in others to pick up the slack in the case of her untimely death. Leliana had to wait until they were revealed to strike. Hopefully, Kallian could figure out more on her end.

Thinking about Kallian renewed Leliana's sense of guilt. Her friend didn't have a grasp on how easily nobles like Amelia bought their way out of punishment. Kallian might not be aware of how this had to end. The right thing to do was find a way to talk to Kallian about it as soon as she could. But maybe not tonight. Kallian had seemed quite tired after working in the stables all day. She had been rather cute with her hair sticking up everywhere, though Leliana knew that Kallian disliked looking unkempt. Her friend deserved some uninterrupted rest tonight.

* * *

Kallian sighed as she tried to get comfortable in her bunk. No summons had come from Leliana. Unlike last night, Kallian rather wanted to take a hot bath now, even if it meant hauling endless buckets of water upstairs again. Washing herself at a water barrel outside with some of the other elf servants really wasn't the same. For one thing, the water was quite chilly. For another, public nudity really was not to her liking, even if they were sheltered from view behind the servant's building.

Leliana might have made a breakthrough with their shared mission. But without having the chance to talk to her, Kallian had no choice but to go ahead with her plan of antagonizing Niale in full view of the other servants tomorrow. Realistically, of course, Kallian would have had to do it anyway. She was just mourning the possibility of Leliana miraculously succeeding in their mission and saving Kallian from her upcoming meeting with Niale's switch.

Elven women chatted around her, but Kallian hadn't managed to make friends with anyone yet. They were all Orlesian, and she was the only Ferelden. Kallian was the odd woman out, and nothing she had tried so far had gotten her kin to open up to her yet. It just illustrated how unfortunately necessary it was to gain their sympathy. Kallian wished, truly, that there was a better way, but nothing occurred to her.

Niale came in shortly to blow out the candles and shut the door on them. Kallian watched the elf woman closely and noticed something for the first time. When Niale bent downward to put out the candles, her dress slipped lower and exposed her collarbone. A faint line with two dots was tattooed there. Kallian looked at the insides of Niale's wrists to confirm her suspicions and saw what she expected: Two faint lines with two dots each were tattooed on Niale's wrists.

In the Alienage, elves who were members of the Thieves Guild had similar tattoos. Her father had pointed the markings out several times, always warning Kallian not to associate with the elves that wore them. She had listened to her father for once, as those tattoos were also known as Dead Man's Dots. City elves that joined the Thieves Guild rarely survived long. But it seemed that Niale was one of the exceptions.

Kallian turned this new information over in her head as Niale shut the door, plunging the room into darkness. The rumors they had heard mentioned that city elves were the ones smuggling the Red Lyrium through the countryside. Who better to smuggle something than the Thieves Guild? It seemed that Niale might be the key to learning about the operation. But the short-tempered elf woman was very unlikely to confide anything in Kallian regardless of how much she tried to charm her. Her original plan would still be the way to go. Kallian just had to be a lot more careful about it now.


	4. Switching It Up!

Kallian sat down in the shade of the largest oak tree on Marquis Amelia's estate. It was not very impressive compared to the Vhenadahl that stood in the center of Denerim's Alienage, but Kallian nevertheless felt a sense of peace from being close to the large oak. For many centuries, her people had gathered beneath such trees to relax and converse together. It was one of the few traditions that had carried over when Kallian's ancestors had stopped thinking of themselves as the Dalish and started to refer to themselves as "city elves".

Some of Kallian's kin had accompanied her here. Earlier today, she had asked Jocai what she knew about the halla and how it related to their ancestors. The Elder elf of the estate had seemed pleased at Kallian's curiosity, but the limited free time both of them possessed made a solo lecture difficult to justify. Kallian had suggested that she could try to see if anyone else among the servants wished to learn, and that Jocai could teach everyone at once. Jocai had agreed and Kallian had gone among her fellow elves, trying to gauge their interest. Most of the servants had little care for ancient Dalish customs, but a handful were curious. The few that were interested were among the minority of servants who seemed less than enthusiastic about worshipping the Maker.

Her kin had seemed nervous when they had first sat down. None of them wanted to be chewed out by Niale for loafing around, but after a few minutes, they became more at ease. Maybe they too were feeling the strange sense of contentment that Kallian felt from being in the shade of the oak tree with her fellow elves around her. Their shared sense of belonging might have been enough for Kallian to try to wheedle some information out of her fellows, but soon enough, Jocai had emerged from the manor and was walking toward them.

"Okay, girls. Miakis had a few questions about the halla and thought that maybe you'd like to learn too." Jocai remarked, sitting down in front of them.

The three servants who had come out with Kallian nodded. Jocai started into her lecture, and suddenly Kallian felt as though she had been transported back to her childhood. Listening to lectures from Elders beneath the leaves of the Vhenadahl was a daily occurrence for elven children. Sometimes the Elders were people Kallian had known already, like her father or aunt, and sometimes Kallian hadn't known them very well, but all were to be respected and listened to.

"The halla was said to be Ghilan'nain's favorite creature, and the only one she did not slay when Andruil instructed her to destroy all of her creations." Jocai explained softly.

Kallian blinked as the memory of her father saying something very similar returned to her. It was a pleasant feeling to know that Jocai's lecture had jogged some of the knowledge that had long been buried in her mind. But the response from her fellow servants was quite different. At hearing this, some of her kin grew nervous again. Worship of the Elven Gods was banned in Orlais, as it was in Ferelden. It had never been enforced in the Denerim Alienage that Kallian could tell, but evidently, things were different here. Kallian saw her three fellow servants glance around as if to remind themselves that no one else was within range to hear the lecture, even if they were simply discussing the Elven Gods and not actively worshipping them.

"Be at ease, girls. We're just talking amongst ourselves." Jocai said calmingly, raising her hands for emphasis.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, for the sake of Kallian's plan) Niale chose that moment to stomp out of the kitchens from the same door Jocai had emerged from. The ill-tempered elf peered around until she saw Jocai, Kallian, and the rest sitting beneath the oak tree in a circle. Niale made a beeline toward them. Out of the corner of Kallian's eyes, she saw the other servants get up and quickly slip away, all going in different directions. Jocai's back was turned to Niale, but she quickly looked around to see what had frightened off her students. A grimace appeared on Jocai's face as she stood up to confront Niale. Kallian stood up as well, knowing what she was about to get into.

"What's going on here, Jocai? The Marquise is not paying you or those girls to laze around." Niale demanded, walking right up to the older elf.

"We were taking a moment to discuss our shared culture, Niale. Perhaps you'd like to join us next time. You might learn something about our heritage." Jocai answered resolutely.

"Is that what you were doing? It seemed more...conspiratorial to me. The Marquise might want to know that groups of her servants are meeting in secret, away from the eyes of those she trusts." Niale said softly, letting her threat linger in the air.

Kallian had heard enough. It was time to draw Niale's baleful attention toward herself and away from the innocent elves she had manipulated into this situation. She stepped around Jocai, whose protective instincts seemed to have caused her to try to block Kallian from Niale's view.

"It was my idea. I saw the nobles returning with a halla, and wanted to know more about the creatures." Kallian said honestly.

Jocai (who had been stone-faced before) started to look worried. Niale's eyes narrowed as her attention shifted to Kallian. The fiery-haired elf suddenly smiled, and Kallian knew instantly that she was in for it. Jocai was too valuable for Niale to do anything but posture at and threaten, but the same certainly wasn't true for Kallian.

"Ah. I should have known that you'd be at the center of this. Come with me." Niale growled before reaching out to grab Kallian's wrist.

"Wait! She's just-." Jocai started, reaching a hand out.

"She is going to experience what happens when wayward servants act out, Jocai. If you don't want it to happen again, then I'd suggest thinking twice about your actions today." Niale snapped, pulling Kallian away.

Kallian let herself be led to the servant's building. Niale had a very tight grip on her wrist, and judging from the strength of the elven woman's hold, she was no stranger to fighting. Kallian had wiped the floor with any number of thugs beforehand, however, so she wasn't worried. If Niale kept it to a simple switching, then Kallian could handle that. The trick would be to provoke Niale into letting something slip, but not so far that Kallian would be forced to defend herself.

* * *

"I thought you'd read between the lines when I talked to you a couple days ago, Miakis. But perhaps I should have made things clearer." Niale said nastily, pulling out the thin strip of wood from her belt.

Kallian said nothing and merely looked at Niale with a guarded expression. Niale had taken her to the servant's building, which had been occupied by a handful of elves taking their break. They had cleared out very quickly after a simple look from Niale, and now the room was empty.

"Lean over the table and lift up your dress." Niale growled, pointing at a table next to her in the center of the room.

Kallian breathed deeply and let it out slowly before moving to the table. She wasn't afraid so much as struggling against her instincts, which told her never to put herself in such a vulnerable position in front of someone who clearly wanted to do her harm. Kallian did as she was instructed, however, and leaned over the table next to Niale so that her elbows rested on top of it. Kallian then lifted up the skirt on her dress and steeled herself for the first blow.

Niale wasted no time in delivering it. Scarcely a second had gone by before Niale swung the switch with vicious speed. Kallian didn't cry out, but the thin strip of wood felt more like a strip of pure fire as it laced into her ass. Niale, evidently dissatisfied with Kallian's silence, swung harder the second time. Kallian gritted her teeth and let out a soft cry as the wooden switch slashed into her ass again. It hadn't broken the skin, though it hurt tremendously. Kallian had suffered wounds before that were easily worse, but never in an intimate area like this.

"It was my mistake, really. An Orlesian elf would have gotten it, but I forgot that Ferelden elves are as dumb as mabaris." Niale said scornfully.

"If it was your mistake, then shouldn't you get the switching?" Kallian ventured, knowingly provoking Niale.

Niale's eyes widened slightly, and Kallian saw her rear back with the switch. Kallian gritted her teeth, but a pained cry was nevertheless forced out of her as Niale swung the switch with punishing speed. Kallian couldn't help but squirm ever so slightly as she tamped down on her instincts. They were yelling at her to grab the switch from Niale's hand and give the sadistic elf a taste of her own medicine, but it wasn't time yet.

"I'm going to chalk that up to stupidity and not cheek, Ferelden." Niale warned, shaking her head.

"What do you give to the servants who give you cheek, if I may ask?" Kallian questioned, aware of how thin the ice beneath her was.

"I give them a transfer to somewhere that no elf comes back from. Is that what you want, Ferelden?" Niale answered harshly, punctuating her words with another vicious swing of the switch.

Kallian let out a louder cry this time. Fiery lines burned on her ass where the switch had struck. So this was what had befallen the city elves who were given the task of transporting the Red Lyrium. Either they had perished from their close proximity to the dangerous substance, or whoever was receiving it was silencing the elves once the job was complete. Kallian knew that getting herself assigned that duty was her next step, but not yet. Not until she could confer with Leliana. Kallian looked at Niale and shook her head swiftly.

"Good choice, Ferelden. Now that I've warmed up a little, let's start your punishment for real." Niale stated eagerly, sounding as if she really did enjoy hurting people.

Kallian clenched her fists as she watched Niale swing her arm back and forth in anticipation. It was just a little pain. Kallian could handle it. She had to if she was going to stop more of her kin from dying. But why couldn't she have gotten the cushy end of the mission? Leliana's part couldn't be nearly as tough!

* * *

Leliana laid back on her bed with a book, waiting for Kallian to finish filling the tub. Leliana had spotted her friend at breakfast today, but she hadn't been among the elves that had served them dinner. It was a little odd, and Leliana had made certain to send a summons for Kallian to fill her bath. The work required to fill it was unfortunate, but she needed to talk to her.

The book Leliana was reading was full of Nevarran tales that she had never heard of before. Leliana had snagged it from Amelia's library with the intention of having something new to recite to her friend tonight. Telling Kallian about the story of Aveline over and over again was going to get stale eventually. Leliana needed to expand her repertoire if she was to keep her city elf friend entertained.

Leliana got up from the bed and headed over to the washroom. The tub was nearly filled, and Leliana decided to sit on the gleaming bidet and wait for her friend to arrive. A few minutes later, Kallian did, breathing a little hard as she carried two buckets of water to the tub. Leliana instantly felt guilty about making Kallian do extra work, but at least her friend could enjoy the bath afterward.

"Tough day?" Leliana inquired politely as Kallian finished filling the bathtub.

"You could say that." Kallian answered shortly, shifting in place slightly.

"Is something wrong?" Leliana asked softly, always in tune to her friend's state of mind.

"...No, it's nothing." Kallian said, frowning.

Leliana knew Kallian far too well to believe her. Kallian would sometimes keep quiet about various discomforts she was in for no other reason than to avoid being a bother to someone else. Her friend's attitude probably had something to do with her upbringing in the Alienage, where every elf was taught to put the interests of the community above their own. Leliana thought for a moment about the best way to get around Kallian's stubbornness before deciding that appealing to her need to help people was the best way to go.

"If you don't want to tell me, I understand." Leliana said in a pained voice, doing her best to appear distressed at her friend's lack of communication.

Kallian sighed and crossed her arms. They had been traveling together too long for Kallian to be unaware of Leliana's rhetorical tricks, but Leliana simply bided her time. Kallian would spill it soon, whatever it was. Her friend was just too good of a person to leave Leliana in apparent distress, even if she suspected that it wasn't entirely genuine.

"Fine, I'll tell you. But I'm warning you right now, if you laugh, I'll drown you in this bathtub." Kallian said warningly.

"I swear I won't laugh, Kal. So please, tell me what's wrong." Leliana said placatingly.

"Alright. I needed to get some information out of the head servant here. She's not the kind to be charmed, so I had to provoke her to do it." Kallian explained uncomfortably.

"I see. What did she do?" Leliana asked curiously.

"She...just look. Do NOT laugh, and tell me if there's any bleeding." Kallian said, sighing as she turned around and raised her skirt.

Leliana's eyes widened considerably as she took in the sight in front of her. Kallian's normally cute butt was marred with a criss-cross of bright red lines that covered it from top to bottom. Leliana's first reaction was overwhelming sympathy, of course, and that easily overcame the very, very small part of her that was inclined to laugh.

"There's no bleeding, at least. Does it hurt a lot?" Leliana asked carefully.

"Not as much as it did." Kallian assured her sourly, dropping her skirt and turning around again.

Leliana had to marvel at the lengths Kallian was willing to go to help her fellow elves. Leliana could not say for certain that she would be willing to take similar measures to help total strangers. But then, maybe elves needed to look out for each other if they were going to survive in a world full of humans that most certainly weren't looking out for them. Although, whichever elf had switched Kallian didn't seem to subscribe to that philosophy.

"I'll talk to Amelia about it. That won't happen again." Leliana said firmly.

"No, don't say anything. That might mess things up going forward." Kallian said just as firmly, shaking her head.

"Going forward? I don't-." Leliana started.

"Niale is the one who determines who gets sent to move the shipments. If she thinks you're protecting me, then she'll back off." Kallian explained in a patient tone, looking at Leliana determinedly.

"Wait. You're planning to get assigned to that?" Leliana asked quietly, already forming objections to the idea in her mind.

"Of course. How else are we going to figure out how it's being sent?" Kallian asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest again.

Leliana hated the idea of Kallian being in such a dangerous position, but knew there was likely no way to dissuade her friend. Once Kallian had determined that some selfless action needed to be done by her and her alone, she could not be convinced otherwise. Leliana could tell her that she was making a lot of progress at gaining Amelia's confidence, but it wouldn't be the truth. At this point, Leliana could only work on how to reduce the danger as much as possible.

"I see. When you go, I could follow you from a distance. Maybe provide backup if you need it." Leliana offered in a resigned voice.

"I appreciate the thought, but keep working on your end. All I need is for you to leave me a dagger or two in a hidden spot near the servant's building. Because I'm pretty sure I won't be given a weapon." Kallian asked in a warmer tone, seemingly grateful for Leliana's understanding.

Leliana nodded and tried to smile, but couldn't keep it up for long. It didn't make any sense. They had both been in dangerous situations like this before, and Leliana knew how capable Kallian was. But it felt different this time. The thought of her friend being trapped, alone and helpless, hit her in a way it never had before. Leliana could think about this another time, though. Right now, she had to help Kallian in whatever way she could.

"Consider it done. I'd offer to let you have the bath again, but..." Leliana said, trailing off delicately.

"Yes, I think I'll pass this time." Kallian said gingerly as she looked at the filled bathtub and winced at the steam that wafted from it.

* * *

Leliana woke up from a barely-remembered nightmare as she often did at night. Calling them nightmares was not strictly accurate, though. Her mind would simply wake her up when her dreams began to feel too real and too overpowering to deal with. She could never remember anything more than that they had to do with the Maker and a truth that her mind was not capable of grasping yet.

Leliana stretched out on the bed before she remembered that Kallian was sleeping on the other side of it. She needn't have worried, however, as Kallian was taking up a very small amount of space on the bed. Years of sleeping in cramped bunks and equally cramped bedrolls seemed to have caused her friend to curl her body in as she slept, even when there was plenty of room to spread out.

Kallian hadn't wanted to trouble her, but Leliana would hear no objections when she bade Kallian to sleep with her in the large, luxurious bed she had been given by Amelia. Once again, Kallian's body had won the argument over her sense of propriety. There was no way that her city elf friend could sleep on her stomach in the tiny bunk she had been assigned, so rejecting Leliana's insistence would have meant a painful, sleepless night full of fruitless squirming. Leliana rather thought that she was to be congratulated on not letting out even the tiniest laugh when she noticed Kallian's earnest efforts to keep anything from contacting her still-tender butt.

The window was open to let in the night air, and the moon was nearly full. It was bright enough inside Leliana's room to make out Kallian's form on the bed. The pain from the switching must have faded by now, as Kallian had shifted onto her side in her sleep without having woken. The moon was making Kallian's pale blonde hair shine beautifully. As she watched her friend sleep, Leliana was suddenly struck with the desire to kiss Kallian lightly enough so that it wouldn't wake her. She didn't, of course, as that would have been ill-done. If Leliana truly wanted to kiss Kallian, then she needed to do it when her friend was awake and able to say yes or no.

Leliana sighed and decided to turn herself away from Kallian. Her willpower was strong, but continuing to look at Kallian's beautiful form was tempting her greatly. Clamping down on her feelings for Kallian was getting harder and harder as time went on. She needed to say something before her friend went off to chase the Red Lyrium the Marquise was moving through the countryside.

In truth, Leliana knew the smart thing to do would be to set aside her feelings again and to focus on her end of their mission. But Leliana doubted that she would be able to do that anymore. She had shoved them down several times now, but here they were, bubbling up again even stronger than before. Her feelings wouldn't be constrained again so easily.

Leliana closed her eyes again and tried to clear her thoughts. Between her feelings for Kallian and the vivid dreams her mind liked to conjure, it would be a wonder if she could get any sleep at all tonight. But the knowledge that Kallian was sleeping peacefully beside her was something, at least. Kallian's steady, measured breaths were calming to listen to. Leliana just had to do everything in her power to make sure that her friend would keep breathing through the days to follow.


	5. Jealousy

Kallian cursed herself as she slipped out of Amelia's manor in the pre-dawn light. Or at least, she cursed the part of herself that had been weak enough to accept Leliana's admittedly generous offer to sleep in her bed. It had resulted in one of the best nights of sleep Kallian could remember having, but the chance that her absence had gone unnoticed among the servants was close to zero.

She didn't even make it to the servant's building in time. As Kallian approached the small building, about a dozen of her kin emerged from inside of it. The upper-class humans living at the estate expected every comfort to which they were accustomed to being at their fingertips immediately upon waking. Which meant that the elves tasked with providing that comfort needed to be up and working before the sun rose.

Niale was leading the group, and her lip curled as she noticed Kallian's presence. Some of the elven women behind her whispered to each other, and it was clear as day that word had gotten around about Kallian's nighttime absence. There was little Kallian could do but wait for them to reach her.

"Ran off to be comforted by your human patron, did you?" Niale asked derisively.

"Hardly. I think we all know who here is more dependent on humans." Kallian returned angrily, the words coming out her mouth before she could think better of it.

Niale's eyes flashed, and Kallian saw her hand twitch toward the thin switch she wore on her belt. A moment later, however, Niale dropped her hand back to her side and kept walking past Kallian, continuing to lead the group to the manor.

"Someone's feeling bolder. You just better hope Lady Leliana doesn't get tired of you." Niale remarked with a laugh, not bothering to look back over her shoulder at Kallian.

Kallian let out a very quiet sigh and fell in with the group of elves. The very thing she had wanted to avoid had happened: Niale was too wary of "Lady" Leliana making a complaint if she took her frustrations out on Kallian. Although it was a welcome reprieve for her butt, Kallian needed Niale to assign her to guard the next shipment of Red Lyrium when it arrived. That wouldn't happen if Niale thought that Kallian was being protected. Kallian needed to change the irritable elf woman's perception. But how?

"You're so lucky, you know." A pretty elf with short dark hair said to her quietly, surprising Kallian.

"I beg your pardon?" Kallian asked her quizzically, not having any clue what this elf woman was talking about.

"I wish some handsome lord or beautiful lady would take an interest in me. Lady Leliana seems quite kind as well." The elf woman answered, winking at her.

"It's not like that. Really." Kallian protested honestly.

"Oh? Then she's in play? I'm Sivi, by the way." Sivi said good-naturedly, smiling at Kallian.

Sivi was indeed pretty. The Orlesian elf had short, dark hair, a heart-shaped face, and luminous green eyes. She had a rather mischevious air about her, and it was likely the reason she was risking talking to Kallian despite the possibility of drawing Niale's ire. Evidently, Kallian's plan to get herself switched by the fiery-haired elf had succeeded in getting at least one of the servants to open up to her.

"I suppose so. I'm Miakis." Kallian answered in a measured tone, thinking hard.

As Sivi continued to chat with her on less important topics, Kallian thought that there was an opportunity here. She could not undo her past indiscretions, but she could perhaps persuade Niale into thinking that Leliana had no particular regard for Kallian. And the best way to do that was to ask Leliana to flirt with someone else. Someone like Sivi, who seemed very open to getting that kind of attention. It was a sound plan, but Kallian had difficulty settling on it. She didn't like the idea of Leliana flirting with anyone else. And certainly not with someone as attractive as Sivi.

As the group of elves reached the entrance to Amelia's manor house, Kallian shook off her doubts and decided to commit herself to the plan. Her people were being harmed by this Red Lyrium and the next shipment could come at any time. Just as her father had always taught her, Kallian needed to set aside her personal feelings and focus on what was best for her kin.

* * *

Leliana heard a knock at the door, waking her from a light slumber. Her first concern was for Kallian, but as she turned to look for her friend, she saw that the space on the bed beside her was empty. A moment later, Kallian herself came in through the door, carrying a silver tray laden with small dishes of food, teacups, and a large silver kettle.

"Were you planning to sleep until noon?" Kallian asked dryly, setting the tray on the bedside table.

Leliana sat up on the bed and decided not to mention how Kallian's presence had kept her up for half the night. Her friend seemed refreshed, however. Kallian certainly had the more trying end of the mission so far, so Leliana didn't mind sacrificing some of her sleep if it meant that Kallian could have better rest. And if it also meant that Kallian had time to serve her breakfast in bed like this, then Leliana minded it even less.

"Perhaps, but thankfully, I have you to wake me up." Leliana said cheerfully, watching Kallian begin pouring tea into a cup.

Leliana graciously accepted the cup and watched her friend arrange the small dishes on the tray. Kallian might not have been aware of this (and probably would not appreciate it if Leliana pointed it out), but the actions of her Orlesian kin seemed to be rubbing off on her. Kallian's movements were more polished and refined than they had been a few days ago. The way that Kallian spoke was still very much Ferelden, but if she refrained from talking, then she could make for a passable Orlesian maid.

"Jocai allowed me to take a tray up here since everyone thinks I'm your...your..." Kallian remarked dryly as she handed the tray to Leliana, trailing off with a very slight blush in her cheeks.

Leliana politely waited for a few moments for Kallian to finish her thought, but nothing seemed to be forthcoming. Kallian was very frank in most matters, but this was the exception. Her friend had a tendency to struggle with conveying intimate terms, and on more than one occasion Leliana had to speak up on her behalf.

"...My what?" Leliana prompted, very much interested in the answer.

"Never mind what! But this is what we needed to avoid. Niale isn't going to assign me to guard the next Lyrium shipment if she thinks you'll object." Kallian said firmly, her cheeks still tinged red.

"Oh. That's probably true." Leliana answered simply.

Kallian clearly considered that to be a problem, but Leliana was privately pleased. She didn't want her friend to be sent off alone into a dangerous situation like that. It was hardly going to be that simple, though. Kallian would move mountains to help her kin, and Leliana doubted that she was going to be stymied by this. The only question was what her friend had in mind to remedy the situation.

"Niale needs to believe that I'm nothing to you. The best way for that to happen, I think, is to make it look like you flirt with servants all the time. Like it's all a game to you." Kallian explained slightly uncomfortably.

"A game? Like I pass the time by seducing elf maids out of their smallclothes?" Leliana asked with a laugh, enjoying the way Kallian blushed all the harder at her words.

"Something like that." Kallian answered in a very quiet voice.

Leliana smiled, but decided to give Kallian some time to compose herself by focusing on the breakfast she had been served. They were very good friends, but Kallian could only take so much teasing before she would become nettled. Leliana didn't want Kallian to become upset with her, so she simply ate and waited for her friend to speak again.

"I happen to know of a servant that would welcome the attention. She has short, dark hair and goes by the name of Sivi. Do you know her?" Kallian asked, making a visible effort to be as collected as possible.

"Hmm. She's pretty, and smiles a lot?" Leliana asked idly, going through what she remembered of the various servants here.

"Yes." Kallian answered in a somewhat stony tone of voice.

Leliana looked up at Kallian in surprise, but her friend was not looking at her. She was busying herself with organizing the kettle and teacups with a very slight frown on her face. Leliana blinked and took a second to think about where she had erred. The answer came to her quickly, and Leliana hastened to correct herself.

"I mean, she isn't that pretty. Short hair isn't to my liking, for one thing." Leliana said rapidly, trying to fix her mistake.

"Well, I hope you can manage to flirt with her anyway." Kallian remarked tightly as she took Leliana's empty plate and returned it to the tray, looking only slightly mollified.

Kallian looked ready to take the tray back and exit from the room. Leliana didn't want to leave matters as they were, so on a spur of the moment, she reached out to take Kallian's smaller hand. Her friend's experience in combat meant that her hand was not particularly soft, but Leliana nevertheless felt a thrill at holding it.

"I'll do it, but I'm doing it for you, okay?" Leliana said softly, looking squarely into Kallian's eyes.

Several moments passed in silence between them. Aside from the blush in her cheeks, Kallian was wearing an expression that was hard to read, though it was at least free from any sign that her friend did not appreciate Leliana's hand on her own. A moment later, Kallian squeezed Leliana's hand back.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Kallian said in an equally quiet tone.

Leliana released Kallian's hand and watched her friend pick up the tray. There was more that she wanted to say, but for whatever reason, no words were forthcoming. Maybe she was waiting for a clearer response from Kallian. It wouldn't be the first time that her city-elf friend had decided that their work needed to take priority over whatever feelings they might have. Leliana had agreed once before, but she wasn't willing to do that again. Kallian's upbringing was different than Leliana's, however. City elves were taught to place the interests of the many above their own. It had certainly worked out to the advantage of Ferelden during the Blight, but as Leliana watched Kallian leave, she thought that a little selfishness might be called for here.

* * *

Kallian hurried through the back hallways of the kitchens, carrying a bottle of White Shear. It was dinnertime, and after having spent much of the afternoon helping to prepare it, Kallian had been tasked with serving dinner as well. As soon as she reached the door to the dining room, Kallian slowed down and did her best to adopt the graceful manner of her fellows. Sivi had explained to her that Orlesian maids were expected to display refinement with every motion (so long as they were in view of their employers, at least), and Kallian did her best to mimic their style. Kallian didn't care about impressing the human nobles here, to whom she was mostly invisible, but Leliana was another story. Her friend was very observant, and Kallian did not want to seem like a plodding ox in comparison to the elegant manner of the elves here.

After taking a calming breath, Kallian entered the dining room and walked around the large table in the center. Almost a dozen human nobles were eating and conversing, and it was her job at the moment to see if any glasses were in need of being filled. Leliana was one of the diners, of course, and she was the reason why Kallian suddenly felt so self-conscious. It had been building for a while, but ever since Leliana had held her hand, Kallian had been unable to get thoughts of the copper-haired Orlesian bard out of her head.

Kallian really wished that she had reacted better earlier. Leliana had seemed a touch hurt by Kallian's noncommittal answer. But there wasn't much that Kallian could say, as she was too busy warring with her feelings to come up with anything coherent. Kallian wanted to explore a relationship with Leliana, but she felt guilty every time she considered it. Didn't her kin need her help? How could Kallian possibly set their needs aside and prioritize her own happiness? It went against everything that she had been taught. And yet, Kallian could not put herself in the same selfless mindset as she had during the Blight. There had to be a limit to how much self-sacrifice a city elf was required to make. Wasn't there?

As Kallian filled a few glasses here and there, she noticed Sivi had appeared from the same door she had. The dark-haired elf was carrying a similarly darker bottle of wine, and it seemed that she had been given the same task as Kallian had. Leliana was a few seats down the table from her, and as she glanced over, she watched her friend drain her glass in a hurry. Kallian understood and reversed her course, heading up the table and away from Leliana. Sivi's eyes alighted on Leliana's empty glass, and the dark-haired elf made a beeline toward her.

Kallian topped off another noble's glass and watched as Sivi bent down to fill Leliana's. As she had been expecting, Leliana took the opportunity to lean forward and whisper into Sivi's ear. Whatever Leliana had said, it caused Sivi to gasp in a bashful manner. Leliana then (outrageously, in Kallian's opinion) placed a very soft kiss on Sivi's neck right below her ear.

"Careful, elf!" The noblewoman for whom Kallian had been serving said reprovingly, as Kallian had poured too much wine into her glass, overtopping it.

"My apologies, Your Grace." Kallian said hurriedly, using an extra linen napkin to clean up the spilled drops.

Thankfully, the noblewoman was too immersed in the conversation going around the table to care much about her. Kallian was able to escape the table unnoticed, at least by everyone except for Leliana. As Kallian glanced back over her shoulder, she saw Leliana looking at her with a guilty expression. Why did this have to be so complicated between them?

* * *

Kallian lay in her tiny bunk, not even bothering to close her eyes. There was no chance of falling asleep now. Not when Sivi had yet to return. An hour earlier, the elf woman who was usually tasked with sending messages arrived in the servant's quarters. Kallian had been hoping that Leliana would summon her so that they could talk. A summons had indeed come, but not for her. Instead, the elf woman went to Sivi. After having received it, the dark-haired elf had conversed excitedly with her friends for a few minutes. They had sent a few covert glances Kallian's way, and that left no doubt about who the message was from. Sivi had eventually stood up, smoothed out her servant's dress, and headed out the door.

That was more than an hour ago. Kallian knew that it took 5 minutes to walk from here and reach the second floor of the manor, and it took 5 minutes to get back. So what exactly had Leliana and Sivi been doing for the last 50 minutes? Kallian was trying very hard not to let her imagination run wild, but there was precious little to distract her.

Leliana wouldn't really do anything beyond flirting with Sivi, right? Well, she certainly wouldn't have done anything if Kallian hadn't given her such a non-answer earlier. Kallian gripped her bedsheets and wondered who she was more annoyed with at the moment: Leliana, Sivi, or herself.

After more than an hour and a half (Kallian was quite certain of the time) Sivi entered the servant's quarters. She had a pleased smile on her face, and what's more, her hair was still wet. Had she gotten into the bath? If so, what had Leliana been doing? Kallian was out of her bunk in an instant, and she was distantly aware that every eye in the room was on her.

"What were you doing with her?" Kallian demanded, walking right up to Sivi.

Kallian had planned to call attention to this confrontation, as she needed to make sure that word reached Niale. But she felt as though her actions were lining up with the plan mostly by coincidence, as Kallian was too upset to think clearly at the moment. Sivi's smile vanished, and she took an unconscious step backward from Kallian's baleful presence. A moment later, however, her courage returned and her smile came back with it.

"I don't really think that's your business, is it, Miakis?" Sivi asked coolly.

Kallian's plan in no way called for her to slap Sivi, but she suddenly felt as though that was simply an oversight. She raised a hand to deliver a slap to the dark-haired elf that would doubtlessly knock that annoying smile off her face when Jocai's voice rang out.

"Enough, girls! I won't have violence here." Jocai exclaimed loudly, standing up from her bunk.

Kallian's anger faded, and shame quickly took its place. Like any city elf would be, Kallian was embarrassed to have been rebuked in public by an Elder. Sivi had been manipulated into this by her, and even if she hadn't been, Jocai was right: Slapping the girl was uncalled for. Jocai pointed to empty bunks on opposite sides of the room, and Kallian and Sivi separated and headed toward them.

As Kallian settled into her new bunk, she sighed and tried to focus on the positives of the situation. Niale could hardly fail to hear about this. Kallian's plan had worked perfectly so far. So why did she feel like the day had been a complete failure for her? Kallian knew the answer, even if she didn't want to admit it. By her own actions, Kallian had thrown her relationship with Leliana into doubt, and wasn't certain how damaged it might be or how she would go about repairing it. But she needed to find out. Kallian had just proven to herself that she could not set aside her feelings about Leliana as she had before. They needed to be dealt with regardless of how it worked out. Of course, Kallian knew which outcome she preferred. As much as Leliana could annoy her sometimes, Kallian couldn't imagine a future that didn't include having the copper-haired Orlesian bard by her side.


	6. Progress

Leliana picked at her food at Amelia's large dining room table. Because of the decisions she had made last night, there had been no Kallian to share her bed with, and certainly no breakfast tray for her upon waking up. And yet Leliana regretted nothing. She had wanted to make Kallian jealous while fulfilling her friend's request. It was the only way that Leliana could see that might rouse Kallian's emotions enough to overcome her friend's staid sense of duty.

Had she gone too far by allowing Sivi to take the bath instead of her? They had done no more than engage in some harmless bantering while Sivi had bathed herself, and Leliana had made certain not to let anything go beyond that point. That sounded like a weak justification in her head, but what should Leliana have done instead? Making it seem as though Leliana liked to fool around with random elven servants was the whole idea. It was Kallian's plan and Leliana had only been fulfilling her part of it. But Kallian had almost certainly been hurt by her actions, and her friend's absence so far meant that Leliana couldn't explain herself.

"Leliana, my dear. You seem rather somber today." Amelia remarked from her left at the table.

"Am I? I wasn't aware." Leliana answered with a quick, though entirely fake smile.

"Playing games with the servants can cause heartache, if you're not careful." Amelia remonstrated lightly, reaching over to pat Leliana's hand.

Leliana blinked and thought for a moment before answering. Clearly, Amelia had someone among the servants who was informing on their activities. This Niale that Kallian so disliked was probably the culprit. If Amelia was that well informed, then Leliana could hardly deny it.

"More like a headache, I would say. But what else is there for me to do here, if not indulge myself?" Leliana asked dryly.

Amelia was silent for a moment. She gave Leliana a long, considering look. Leliana smiled at Amelia, but experience told her to remain silent as well. Part of the training she had received as a bard was in recognizing when someone wanted to tell her something, and to not get in the way of them rationalizing their way into doing so. Finally, Amelia came to a decision and smiled at Leliana once more.

"I understand, cousin. It's quite easy to get into mischief if your hands are idle. That is why I prefer to stay focused on business. I wonder if you would be interested in joining me in something more lucrative than seducing pretty servants?" Amelia asked in a casual tone, though the sharpness of her eyes belied that.

"I thought you'd never ask, cousin." Leliana said with an appreciative smile.

"Excellent. Meet me in the forest behind the manor at midnight. There's a small game trail near the blacksmith's shed. Follow it until you reach a clearing." Amelia instructed intently, dropping her voice so that she could not be overheard.

Leliana nodded and dug into her breakfast with new enthusiasm. She was finally getting somewhere. There had been times when Leliana had considered infiltrating Amelia's apartments in the manor in order to gain access to the Marquise's letters but had decided against doing so every time. If Leliana was caught, then Kallian would be put in danger as well. She wasn't going to put her friend at risk like that, even if (in Leliana's opinion) Kallian didn't put enough stock into her own safety.

* * *

There was something different about today. Kallian could tell even through her own preoccupations. Her kin were nervous. Ever since she had woken up, Kallian noticed a number of whispered conversations among the servants. Before she had engineered her own switching, these kinds of guarded conversations would cease as soon as Kallian got within earshot. But now, the Orlesian elves here had begun to accept Kallian as one of them and she was able to listen in on a conversation while everyone dressed for the workday to come.

"Who do you think she's going to pick?" A rather scared looking elf with long chestnut hair asked her friend.

"Well, Miakis for one." Another elf with long red pigtails said in response, glancing sympathetically in Kallian's direction.

"But who else? I think she snapped at Airie yesterday..." The first elf said in more of a gossiping tone, as she likely believed that she was now safe.

Kallian stopped listening to their conversation. It seemed that her plan went off without a hitch. That was good. Knowing that some innocent elf wouldn't be sacrificed in her stead was excellent, and Kallian did her best to feel satisfied with the knowledge. But Kallian was too consumed with regret for how she had handled the situation with Leliana to feel good about much of anything right now.

After having a full night to sleep on it and gain some distance from anger, Kallian had realized exactly what Leliana had been doing. Sivi didn't mean anything to her. Leliana had been trying to make Kallian jealous. And she had completely succeeded. Kallian hadn't been ready to admit it to herself yesterday, but there was no point in pretending anymore. Kallian had become so upset at Sivi because she had wanted, very badly as it turned out, to be in Sivi's place last night. Kallian wanted Leliana to whisper something scandalously flirtatious into her ear, she wanted Leliana to kiss her neck softly, and she wanted to feel as though Leliana found her to be beautiful, appealing, and worth the effort of pursuing romantically. That Kallian had not done anything to make this easier on Leliana's part was why Kallian was filled with regret for how she had acted. But that wasn't to say that Leliana had acted optimally either.

Leliana was Kallian's best friend, but that fact didn't mean that the Orlesian bard couldn't drive Kallian crazy sometimes. Leliana knew Kallian very well (rather better than Kallian knew Leliana, it felt like) and she was more adept at playing this kind of emotional game than Kallian was. From what Kallian had heard, Leliana had received many hard lessons from her mentor, Marjolaine, about how to manipulate others and to use their desires for her own benefit. Kallian had never had any kind of comparable experience growing up. City elves were taught to trust one another, and that honesty was an essential component of trust. Not every city elf embraced these lessons, but Kallian had always preferred to deal in truth rather than lies, no matter how sweet they could sometimes sound.

Kallian rather thought that Leliana was torn in that regard. There was absolutely a kind, open side of Leliana that Kallian was drawn towards, but there was also a more cynical side that Marjolaine had done her best to nurture. Even after this business with Sivi, Kallian still trusted that her friend would act in both of their interests equally. That didn't make it any less annoying to feel as though Leliana was able to play on her emotions as easily as she played the lute, however. Kallian's musings were cut short as the doors to the servant's sleeping quarters opened, and Niale sauntered in.

"Good morning, girls. It's that time again." Niale said cheerfully to the group at large.

Niale's pronouncement was met with silence from everyone else. Kallian felt a sharp uptick in the level of fear in the room, and she simply crossed her arms and waited for the inevitable. She had never seen Niale this genuinely pleased before, not even when the sadistic elf had switched her. Perhaps Niale preferred to savor the fear rather than the pain in those she victimized. Niale took her time looking around the room into every face, and soon her eyes met Kallian's. Niale's smile turned into something of a frown as the Head Servant did not see the apprehension she wanted to see in Kallian's eyes.

"You know the drill by now. Anyone whose name I call is to be transferred to the Marquis de Boucher's villa." Niale announced, turning her attention back to the group at large.

Kallian would have laughed had the situation been less dire. Niale didn't even have the courtesy to pretend that the elves being transferred would not be killed at the end of their journey, or else she would have come up with a fictional noble whose Orlesian name did not translate into Common as "Butcher".

"I'm sad to say that Airie, Lynai, and the newest addition to our happy family, Miakis, are set to be transferred." Niale announced, the regret in her voice being entirely canceled out by the satisfaction on her face.

Kallian glanced around at the other elves whose names had been called. Airie was uncommonly tall for an elf. Aside from her long ears, she could be mistaken for a short, slender human woman. Airie had long, straight black hair and she had a resigned expression on her face. Apparently, Airie had been expecting this. Lynai, on the other hand, had a face as white as a ghost. The much shorter elf had bobbed auburn hair, and she immediately clutched a nearby friend for support. Kallian felt a wave of sympathy break over her, and she immediately vowed that no harm would come to the two elves who had been selected to join her.

"It's not all bad news for them, however. They get the day off and can do whatever they want until nightfall. For the rest of you, however? Get to work, and remember to be grateful for Marquise Amelia's generosity." Niale instructed in a satisfied voice before she turned to leave the room.

Most of the elves in the room went over to Airie and Lynai to express their sympathies, although a few said encouraging words to Kallian. As far as Kallian could tell, none of the elves here believed in Niale's fictional noble, but so long as nothing was happening to them directly, they were content to lie to themselves about the death sentence their fellows had been given. Kallian only had derision for that kind of attitude, even as she understood that not everyone had her courage and skill. It was Kallian's responsibility to guard her kin from peril, as it was clear that nobody else was going to do it.

* * *

In the midmorning light, Leliana casually slid one of her daggers into a hollowed-out stump near the servant's quarters. Kallian was just foolishly brave enough to continue with her plan even if she was alone and unarmed. Leliana could do nothing about the first aspect, but she would be damned if her friend was going into danger without a weapon. Nobody had seen her that she could tell, but Leliana didn't particularly care if she was seen. Kallian's safety was paramount here.

That was the simple truth, even if Leliana didn't feel great about admitting it. She did not want any harm to come to the elves working here, but if she had to choose between preserving their lives and keeping Kallian alive, then she would choose Kallian every time. Even if her friend was angry at her for apparently fooling around with Sivi last night. That was the second reason why Leliana was out here. The need to explain her actions to Kallian had become extremely pressing for her, and time was running out.

Most of the servants were gathered a ways away in the grass for morning prayers. Leliana had examined the mass of kneeling elves but hadn't seen Kallian among them. That was strange, as Kallian should have been either on hand to serve breakfast to the nobles, or out here listening to the Revered Mother drone on and on along with the rest of her kin. Where could her city elf friend be? Leliana was so concerned that she decided to check the servant's quarters herself, and didn't particularly care about how it might look.

Leliana boldly walked over to the servant's quarters and opened the door. In contrast to the rest of the estate, this building seemed to have been made with elven height in mind. Leliana was not particularly tall for a human woman, but she had to stoop ever so slightly to make it underneath the door frames here. Inside was a small entrance room with double doors on the other side. Leliana crossed the room and opened them to find a somewhat larger room filled with laughably small bunks along the walls. Alone in the room was Kallian, sitting on a bunk in the corner. Kallian was wearing the very appealing white servant's dress that every other elf here wore. Her friend glanced over at Leliana and did a small double-take as soon as she recognized who it was.

"What...what are you doing here?" Kallian exclaimed in shock, standing up from her bunk.

"I didn't see you anywhere. I had to make sure you were alright." Leliana explained patiently, walking over to her friend.

"I'm fine! But you need to leave! If Niale sees you-" Kallian said in a rush, looking rather upset.

"But that's why I'm here. I think the next shipment of Red Lyrium came last night." Leliana said quickly, raising her hands to calm Kallian down.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure it did. Niale already picked which servants will guard it. I'm one of them, obviously." Kallian said in agreement, nodding sadly.

"Then we don't have much time." Leliana remarked, more to herself than Kallian.

Seeing Kallian in front of her was deciding a few things for Leliana. She was quite honestly done with dancing around her feelings. Abstract priorities like keeping innocent people safe seemed less important than ever compared to the honest, selfless, and romantically thick-headed city elf in front of her. There was an undeniable spark between them, and Leliana wasn't going to let it go unmentioned for one moment longer.

"Look. I didn't do anything with Sivi. She means absolutely nothing to me." Leliana explained in the same calm tone, stepping a little closer to Kallian.

Leliana was just inside Kallian's personal space, and that was a calculated choice. Kallian did not step back, and Leliana was pleased to see a hint of a blush in her friend's cheeks as she craned her neck upward slightly to maintain eye contact.

"I know. You were just trying to make me jealous." Kallian responded curtly, the redness in cheeks spoiling her cool tone.

"And did I?" Leliana asked with a raised eyebrow, even though she could already tell what the answer was.

"That's...I mean..." Kallian said in something of a fluster, unable to come up with a coherent answer.

Leliana had heard all she needed to. Her normally frankly spoken friend would often become tongue-tied when the focus of the conversation became intensely personal, especially when it was somewhat embarrassing to talk about. It might be some time before Kallian could come up with something other than single words that had little relation to each other, and Leliana didn't feel like waiting. Leliana simply stepped closer to Kallian to bent down slightly to kiss her. Her city elf friend's lips were exquisitely soft and smooth, just as Leliana had imagined them to be. To Leliana's considerable relief and pleasure, Kallian kissed her back eagerly. She had been fairly certain that Kallian would welcome the kiss (Leliana would not have done it otherwise) but receiving confirmation that yes, Kallian was more than receptive to Leliana's advances made her feel as light as air.

Leliana wanted very much to keep going, but after a little while, she broke off the kiss and allowed them both a few moments to catch their breath. Kallian had an infectious smile on her face, and both of them let out similar small, excited laughs as they looked into each other's eyes. The relief that Leliana that felt was clearly mirrored in Kallian's eyes, and Leliana suddenly felt a strong urge to do quite a bit more with Kallian. Unfortunately, there was a slight problem.

"Well, I had planned to ravish you on one of these beds, but..." Leliana said with a small smile, glancing over at the absolutely tiny bunks that female elven servants were apparently expected to sleep in.

"Very funny." Kallian said reprovingly, though the deepening blush in her cheeks indicated that her friend's imagination had no problem constructing such a scene in her mind.

"Who's joking?" Leliana asked seriously, raising an eyebrow once more.

"We can't do that here. No way." Kallian said flatly, though Leliana thought she detected a hint of regret in her voice.

Leliana thought for a moment. Obviously, they couldn't do it here, as an elven servant come could in at any time. But Kallian had emphasized "here", hadn't she? Leliana decided to press the issue, and on the spur of the moment, decided not to phrase it as a question at all.

"Very well. Come to my room tonight after dinner." Leliana instructed calmly, locking her gaze with Kallian's.

"Oh, is that an order?" Kallian asked coolly.

There was definitely something in Kallian's tone that caught Leliana's attention. It was slightly challenging, with a little playfulness thrown in. Unless Leliana was wildly off the mark, she rather thought that Kallian liked the assertiveness that Leliana had displayed. If that was the case, then she could play along easily. Leliana leaned forward until her lips were next to Kallian's ears.

"Yes, it is. Be there by 8 o'clock. And if you're even a minute late, then I'll show you what happens to disobedient maids." Leliana whispered softly, punctuating her statement by delivering a kiss to Kallian's neck right below her ear.

Kallian's very wide eyes were the only answer Leliana needed to see. She smiled at her friend and walked out with slow confidence, making sure that she did not look back. Leliana was hardly as confident as she was trying to appear, but she had no doubt that Kallian would show up. What Leliana was less certain about, and what she was very interested in finding out, was whether Kallian would show up before 8 o'clock or after.


	7. A little after 8

Kallian stirred the largest pot in the kitchens and tossed in a handful of Antivan spices every time Jocai signaled to her. Kallian had been working ridiculously hard over the past week, and since she had been given the day off, one might expect her to leap at a good opportunity to laze around. But relaxing while her kin were all working felt shameful to Kallian. After only a few minutes of doing nothing, she had ended up walking over to the kitchens to volunteer her services to Jocai. Kallian might have expected Jocai to tell her to rest, but the Elder elf of the estate allowed her to help where she could. Work was an excellent way to distract the mind, and Jocai no doubt thought that Kallian was nervous about being transferred tonight. If only she knew that Kallian was actually obsessing over.

The way that her Orlesian friend had spoken to her had left Kallian feeling equal parts excited and confused. Kallian usually hated it when humans talked down to her like that. By rights, she should have told Leliana off for trying to treat Kallian like she was her personal toy. The sheer nerve Leliana had shown by telling, not asking, Kallian to come to her room tonight was galling. And the way the Orlesian bard had practically sauntered away without ever looking back at her! It was...well, ridiculously hot if Kallian was being completely honest with herself. But why, though?

Maybe it was because Kallian knew that despite any games they might partake in, Leliana ultimately respected her as a person and as an equal. Maybe that was why Kallian was not up in her arms over the way Leliana had acted. Whatever the reason, though, Kallian had to make a decision. She was obviously going to show up to Leliana's room tonight, but what about the last thing her friend had said? Leliana had told her to show up exactly at 8 o'clock, and if she was late...

"You're stirring too quickly, child." Jocai reminded her gently, bringing Kallian's focus back to her surroundings.

"Oh. Sorry." Kallian responded at once, chiding herself as she slowed the pace of her stirring.

Jocai only smiled at her and continued with her rather more involved task of preparing raspberry macarons. Kallian had to marvel at Jocai's skill when it came to all things culinary. Kallian herself was only fit for doing preparatory work, as she never really learned how to cook. Her mother Adaia was a famous rogue and had passed down many of her skills to Kallian, but the ability to cook was certainly not one of them. Adaia was hopeless in the kitchen, and other wives in the tightly-knit Denerim Alienage were constantly dropping off dishes at their home, convinced as they were that poor Kallian had not been getting sufficient nutrition as a child.

The calming atmosphere in the mostly-empty kitchens was abruptly broken as a group of servants streamed in. 4 o'clock was when preparations for dinner began in earnest, and Jocai shifted away from the quiet, gentle side she had been showing to Kallian to the more focused Head of the Kitchens that everyone knew her to be as well. Jocai was never rude, but she began directing the other elves here with practiced efficiency, Kallian included. She didn't mind, as working alongside her kin was more relaxing than sitting around by herself. It would help her not to obsess over what it would mean to miss Leliana's strict deadline of 8 o'clock tonight.

* * *

Leliana sat in front of the dresser mirror in her room, making sure that her appearance was flawless. She had wondered whether to dress in something simple and easy to remove, or perhaps something lacey and alluring for Kallian's visit. But instead, Leliana had put on a very intricate and expensive emerald silk dress Amelia had loaned her. If Leliana wanted to act the part of her city elf friend's noble mistress, then she needed to look the part.

Leliana had been uncertain about whether she really wanted Kallian to arrive early or late. If Kallian was early, then it would save Leliana the trouble of figuring out how she was going to discipline Kallian without either going too far or possibly disappointing her friend. But if Kallian was late, then Leliana would get the chance to dominate the beautiful, though romantically thick-headed city elf she had been interested in for years now.

Leliana looked at the clock on the wall of her room and saw that it was a few minutes past 8 o'clock. Leliana's confidence, usually high, started to crack as the minutes went by. Kallian was going to show up, wasn't she? Leliana hadn't really considered the possibility that her friend would stand her up entirely. At 8:10, Leliana got up from in front of her dresser and began pacing back and forth. Thankfully, Leliana heard a knock on her door a moment later. She quickly sat down on the bed, took a moment to calm herself, and spoke up loudly enough to be heard through the door.

"Come in." Leliana said in a cool tone.

A moment later, Kallian appeared, looking very appealing in her white servant's dress. Leliana hadn't been exaggerating when she told Kallian that the dress suited her. Leliana had some half-formed plans to get her hands on a spare servant's dress so that even after they finally left Amelia's manor, she could ask Kallian to put it on for her benefit. Depending on their future dynamic, it might be less of a request and more of a command, actually. After closing the door behind her, Kallian opened her mouth to speak, but Leliana forstalled her.

"Maids are supposed to curtsy before speaking to their betters, are they not?" Leliana pointed out, smiling at Kallian.

Kallian's eyes widened considerably. Leliana felt a little nervous, but she maintained her expectant air. Kallian's reaction here would tell her a lot about how to proceed. Leliana waited for Kallian to make her decision and was immensely pleased to see her city elf friend curtsy as she was instructed to.

"Yes, My Lady." Kallian intoned, her cheeks reddening somewhat.

"I could get used to hearing that. Now come over here." Leliana instructed Kallian, as she tried to disguise any excitement in her voice.

Kallian dropped the edge of her skirt and walked over to Leliana. As her friend came closer, Leliana could tell that she wasn't the only one who was excited. The silk dress that Kallian was wearing was soft (Marquise Amelia would not allow her servants to be seen in anything cheap or rough) but also fairly sheer. Leliana could see that Kallian's nipples were poking out through the thin fabric of her dress, but she decided to simply enjoy the view and avoid pointing (Leliana kept herself from laughing, just barely) that out.

"Okay, so how does this go?" Kallian asked with a little bit of nervousness in her voice as she sat down on the bed beside Leliana.

"Firstly, I want you to think of a flower you like. Do any come to mind?" Leliana asked calmly, thinking back to what Marjolaine had told her about how to be a good dominant.

"Felandaris?" Kallian answered, after a moment.

"Okay. If this ever becomes too much for you to handle, I want you to say 'Felandaris', and I'll stop. It's called a safeword." Leliana explained, shifting slightly.

"A safeword? I don't think that's necessary. I trust you." Kallian said firmly.

Leliana had to smile at Kallian's naivety. The intricacies of the relationship between a dominant and a submissive were clearly lost on her. It was Leliana's responsibility to make sure that she didn't end up taking advantage of Kallian's inexperience when it came to this kind of thing.

"Thanks, Kal. I hope you still trust me after I give you a spanking, though." Leliana said, grinning at Kallian.

"What?" Kallian asked in disbelief, drawing away ever so slightly.

"Oh, come on, Kal. You showed up late on purpose. What do you think happens to maids that don't obey their instructions?" Leliana pointed out lightly.

Leliana patted her lap, then leaned back on the bed with her arms behind her. Leliana certainly wasn't going to force Kallian to accept a spanking, though she maintained her expectant air. She was quite keen to spank her city elf friend, but that could only happen if Kallian allowed her to. Just because Leliana was the more dominant one between them didn't mean that Kallian didn't have just as much say in what was about to happen.

* * *

Kallian sat on the edge of the bed, feeling torn. Leliana's dominant attitude was exciting to behold, but did Kallian really want to submit to a spanking? She wasn't a masochist. At least Kallian didn't think so. There had been absolutely nothing exciting about being switched by Niale earlier. But maybe this kind of thing depended a lot on who was doing it. Kallian really didn't have enough experience to tell. Leliana did, however, and her friend was still smiling expectantly.

"Trust me Kal, you'll like this. And if you don't, we won't do it again." Leliana offered in a softer tone, correctly interpreting Kallian's hesitation.

Kallian let out a long breath before she decided to crawl forward and lay herself over Leliana's lap. Kallian might have expected herself to be uncomfortable with being in such a vulnerable position, but that wasn't the case. Kallian felt an odd sense of contentment at being over Leliana's lap like this. Until Leliana casually flipped up her skirt, at least.

"I have to say, your butt looks a lot cuter when it doesn't have red stripes all over it." Leliana remarked lightly above her.

Kallian felt herself redden considerably, and might have been thankful that her face was currently hidden from view. Except that it meant that other parts of her body were exposed instead. A fact that was highlighted a moment later when Leliana ran her hand over Kallian's ass lightly.

"I really hope you like this, Kal. Because I can already tell that I'm going to like doing it." Leliana said with distinct eagerness in her voice.

"Will I get to spank you after, then?" Kallian ventured from below, only to receive a light smack to her butt.

"A maid, spanking her mistress? How impertinent." Leliana said with a gentle laugh, sounding very much like the Orlesian noble she had been pretending to be ever since they had gotten to Amelia's estate.

Kallian got the message. Honestly, she had no interest in trying to spank Leliana. It just seemed like it would only be fair if she got the chance to do it to her friend. But Kallian was starting to understand that fairness wasn't as much of a concern for her as she thought, at least when it came to her relationship with Leliana. If it had been, then Kallian would never have agreed to the indignity of pretending to be Leliana's servant. And hearing Leliana's answer, which seemed to indicate that Kallian was the only one who was going to receive any spankings between them, would have bothered her. But it didn't seem to.

"Marjolaine always told me that honesty was an absolute necessity in these kinds of relationships. So I'm going to be completely honest." Leliana stated as she started spanking Kallian in earnest.

Leliana's hand came down on Kallian's ass with a steady rhythm. Kallian let out a quiet gasp and squirmed slightly on Leliana's lap. Her friend's smacks weren't very painful, but they were humiliating. Kallian was getting used to humiliation, though. She had experienced quite a bit of it ever since she agreed to pose as a servant here. The difference was that the humiliation Kallian had experienced from the actions of Niale or some of the human nobles here did not turn her on in the slightest. But the dose of playful humiliation that Kallian was receiving from Leliana was undeniably exciting.

"I think I'm getting a taste for having a maid. I've never really had one before, but it's nice to have someone there to bring me breakfast, or to draw baths for me." Leliana continued in a conversational tone, sounding entirely at ease as she continued to spank Kallian.

Kallian was not nearly as comfortable. The heat emanating from her ass was building steadily, and she squirmed harder over Leliana's lap, as if that would help to disperse some of it. Was it her imagination, or were Leliana's smacks becoming more firm as time went on? Regardless, Kallian was finding it more difficult to think clearly as her spanking continued. The pain she was experiencing, combined with a sort of pleasurable sense of humiliation, was making her breathe harder.

"And you want me to be your maid, is that it?" Kallian asked in a breathless tone.

"Yes, I do. I think we'll both enjoy it. Just like we're both enjoying this. I was right, wasn't I?" Leliana asked in a tone thick with amusement, not slowing the pace of her hand in the slightest.

Leliana was indeed right, not that Kallian was crazy about admitting it. It was a little frustrating that Leliana was always able to read her like a book, while Kallian struggled to do the same with her friend. But yes, as surprising to Kallian as it was, being spanked by Leliana was tremendously exciting. Kallian felt herself becoming wet and made certain to clamp her legs together so that Leliana couldn't tell yet. It was just too embarrassing to show. She still needed to answer Leliana's question, though. Kallian decided to follow her friend's lead and to be as honest as she could.

"...Yes." Kallian admitted in an embarrassed tone.

As soon as Kallian had admitted the truth, Leliana began spanking her much harder. Every smack to her burning ass was now accompanied by a loud crack. Kallian gasped loudly and she started to kick her heels up and down on the bed. Ordinarily, Kallian could handle pain without complaint. But why bother, when displaying her distress was probably what Leliana wanted? Kallian turned her head to look up at Leliana and saw a pleased smile on her friend's face.

"I don't want you to enjoy it too much though, Kal. This is supposed to be your punishment for being late as well." Leliana remarked in a satisfied tone, locking eyes with Kallian.

Kallian moaned helplessly as Leliana continued to lace into what had to be her bright red ass. Her friend showed no sign of wanting to slow down the pace or the intensity of the spanking she was giving. Kallian looked into Leliana's eyes and started to understand her friend's wants a little more. Unless she was mistaken, Leliana wanted her to beg and plead. As mortifying as it was, Kallian could do that. And privately, Kallian was approaching the point where she didn't need to act.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Kallian cried out in a desperate tone, still kicking her feet up and down.

"Oh, now you're sorry. I wonder why?" Leliana asked teasingly, the tiny gleam in her eyes showing just how much the copper-haired bard seemed to enjoy having Kallian at her mercy.

"Please! I've learned my lesson!" Kallian exclaimed from over her friend's lap, quickly getting to the point where she was willing to say anything if it meant that Leliana would take it easy on her.

"Hmmm. Are you going to be my maid from now on?" Leliana asked in the same teasing tone, with the loud cracks from each exceedingly firm smack accompanying her question.

"Yes! I swear! Just please, no more!" Kallian begged without an iota of dignity remaining.

As soon as Leliana had secured Kallian's promise, the spanking stopped. Just like that. Kallian moaned softly as she felt the blazing heat emanating from her ass cheeks. Her butt felt almost as hot as a hearth fire. She had little time to focus on that, however, as Leliana gently pulled Kallian off of her lap and embraced her tightly.

It might have been strange for Kallian to feel such a sense of calming relief to be in Leliana's arms, considering what her friend had just been doing to her, but that was how she felt. As Kallian calmed down, she reflected for a moment about how intensely embarrassed she should have been to submit so thoroughly to a human. But Leliana was the most important person in her life. The fact that Leliana was a human was an unimportant detail compared to everything else Kallian knew about her.

"I hope I didn't go too far, Kal. I thought I might be, but you never used your safeword." Leliana remarked, still embracing Kallian tightly.

Kallian blinked as she recalled their earlier conversation. She had completely forgotten about her supposed safeword. The intensity of her spanking had driven it out of her mind. Would Kallian have cracked and used it, if she had recalled? She wasn't sure. But Kallian was glad that she didn't remember. That might have spoiled things for Leliana, and Kallian wanted her friend to enjoy herself.

"Just far enough, I'd say." Kallian answered with a somewhat shaky smile, the heat from her ass having only barely lessened.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now we can move on to something else." Leliana said with a warm smile.

"What else could-?" Kallian began quizzically, only for Leliana to silence her with a kiss.

Leliana (very conscientiously) did not push Kallian down onto the bed, which her tender butt would have made painful contact with, but instead fell down with her so that both of them were laying on their sides. Leliana's kisses were quite insistent, and Kallian quickly accepted Leliana's tongue in her mouth. That was enough to cause the wetness Kallian had felt earlier to return with a vengeance. Kallian couldn't help but rub her thighs together in excitement.

While Kallian was eager for more than kissing, she nevertheless waited for Leliana take the lead. Her own romantic experiences were a little lacking, and although they had never discussed it in detail (Kallian had been too embarrassed to do so) she knew that Leliana had more experience and knowledge when it came to intimate activities such as this. Plus, the spanking she had just been given had solidified their roles in Kallian's mind. Leliana was the dominant one between them, and submitting to the copper-haired bard felt like the natural thing to do now.

As they kissed, Leliana traced her hands lightly over Kallian's body. Kallian enjoyed the sensation, but Leliana's hands soon came to a rest. In particular, one was now resting on Kallian's thigh. As the seconds ticked by, Kallian could feel Leliana's hand inch higher, until it slipped below the edge of her skirt. Kallian's servant dress meant that Leliana had easy access to her body, and Kallian was thankful for that. Even if it was one more example of the inequality between them, considering that Leliana's expensive gown provided her with a good deal more coverage.

Kallian could feel Leliana's hand drift closer to her pussy, and she spread her legs slightly to allow Leliana better access. Even an hour ago, Kallian might have been too embarrassed to do that. But the spanking she had received had effectively stripped Kallian both of her dignity and the need to worry about it when it came to her interactions with Leliana. She had nothing to hide from the copper-haired bard anymore, so she had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Leliana ended the lengthy kiss between them, but that seemed like it was only to get a better view of Kallian. A moment later, Kallian gasped as soon as she felt Leliana's fingers tracing her pussy lips lightly.

"You're so beautiful, Kal. You know that, right?" Leliana asked softly, looking into Kallian's eyes.

Kallian's eyes widened and she could feel her cheeks reddening fiercely. Apparently, there were a few things that she could still feel embarrassed about. Hearing that Leliana thought she was beautiful was one of them. Kallian didn't particularly think of herself as beautiful, but she was not about to disagree. Especially when disagreeing with Leliana could very well end with Kallian over her friend's lap again with her skirt flipped up.

Kallian found Leliana's gentle touch pleasant, but she wanted more. Kallian tried her best to communicate her wishes with her eyes, and Leliana responded immediately. Kallian closed her eyes and moaned softly with satisfaction as Leliana began rubbing her pussy in earnest. Kallian's mind and body were both exquisitely primed by now, and in a very short amount of time, she felt herself approaching orgasm. It was amazing how much more pleasurable it was to have Leliana's fingers rubbing her than her own. Kallian had never allowed anyone to touch her there before.

"If you want to cum, you'll have to ask my permission." Leliana said in the same teasing tone as before, jarring Kallian from the pleasurable fog she was in.

Kallian looked beseeching at Leliana, hoping that would be enough. But a slight headshake from the copper-haired bard nixed that idea. Leliana wanted Kallian to do something that she very much struggled with, which was vocalizing intimate terms. Kallian moaned softly and tried her best to psych herself up.

"May I..May I...I..." Kallian stammered, feeling like this was a colossal undertaking.

Kallian fell silent a moment later. She had tried, but failed. Maybe Leliana would take pity on her, but from the expression on her friend's face, it wasn't to be. Leliana started to withdraw her hand and Kallian reacted instinctively by clamping her legs together before Leliana could do so. The thought of being left without a satisfying climax, possibly for the night, was something Kallian couldn't let happen.

"May...May I cum? Please?" Kallian managed to force out, closing her eyes in sheer embarrassment.

"You may." Leliana answered at once, in a satisfied voice.

The knowledge that Leliana had effortlessly maneuvered Kallian into submitting to her in a humiliating fashion was galling, but it was also explosively hot. Leliana began rubbing Kallian's pussy with the speed and intensity Kallian had craved, and in no time at all, she was on the cusp of an orgasm. Leliana then leaned forward and kissed Kallian deeply, which easily drove her over the edge.

Kallian shrieked as she came, with Leliana's lips being the only thing there to muffle her cries. She was experiencing an orgasm several orders of magnitude greater than any she had experienced before, and it was enough to wipe conscious thought from her mind. For who knows how long, Kallian rode the inexpressible feeling emanating from her pussy until it mercifully began to fade. As her mind began returning to her, Kallian realized that Leliana had been kissing her the whole time. It was only when Kallian appeared to regain herself that Leliana broke off the kiss.

"You looked like you enjoyed that." Leliana remarked lightly, her tone making it clear that she knew it was quite the understatement.

Kallian didn't respond. She didn't have the energy quite yet. Was that kind of electrifying orgasm what sex with another person usually felt like, or did it come from engaging in this type of roleplay? Kallian wasn't certain, and after a moment, realized that she might never know the answer. Kallian fully intended Leliana to be the only person she would ever make love to, and Leliana might fully intend this type of play to be a permanent fixture of their relationship. Kallian was suddenly curious about that.

"Am I going to have to ask permission every time?" Kallian asked tiredly.

"Of course." Leliana answered pleasantly, but with no trace that she was kidding.

Kallian laughed at hearing that. So long as it meant that her orgasms would be as breathtaking as her most recent one had been, then she was fine with having to ask permission. But the thought suddenly occurred to Kallian that Leliana hadn't been satisfied yet. She blinked and looked at the clock. It was only 9 o'clock. Kallian turned back to look at her love.

"Don't you want to...you know?" Kallian asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I do. But I feel like having a late night snack first." Leliana answered readily, looking at Kallian in a pointed way.

Kallian's recent climax had slowed her thinking. It was a few seconds before she realized what Leliana had meant. Kallian pushed herself up to a sitting position on the bed and winced as her still tender ass touched the sheets.

"Would you like anything from the kitchens in particular, my lady?" Kallian asked politely, getting into the role.

"A raspberry macaron or two. And hurry back. If it takes you longer than 5 minutes, then I'll have to wonder whether you really learned your lesson about being on time." Leliana answered casually, sounding supremely comfortable in her newly dominant role.

Leliana hadn't spelled out what would happen if Kallian was late in returning, but Kallian wasn't going to risk another spanking when her tender butt was just starting to recover from the last one. Kallian got up from the bed and paused only to offer a curtsy before hurrying from the room. As she left, Kallian could hear Leliana laughing softly. Kallian's cheeks burned with embarrassment, but ultimately, avoiding a spanking was the only thing she truly cared about at the moment.

Now if only Kallian could remember where Jocai kept the leftover raspberry macarons.

(For the next chapter, I might simply describe what happened afterward while moving onto the plot a bit more. Unless anyone wants to read about it? Let me know in a review!)


	8. Lyrium

Kallian shifted in position yet again, wishing she had chosen a looser pair of pants to wear. Along with her fellow city elves Aerie and Lynai, Kallian had changed out of her white servant's dress and into some nondescript traveling garments. Knowing that she would need her movement to be as unencumbered as possible, Kallian had chosen clothes that fit her the best. She was paying for that choice now, though. Tight pants did not go well with her recently-spanked bottom.

"Are you alright, Miakis?" Aerie asked, concern in the eyes of the uncommonly tall city elf.

"Of course. I'm just a little impatient." Kallian invented immediately.

Kallian chided herself. She was supposed to be comforting her two companions, not the other way around. They were standing in a clearing in the forest behind Marquise Amelia's estate. Torches had been planted into the ground near where they stood, illuminating the circular area. Kallian had already noticed two grooves in the grass that looked to have been made by wooden wheels. Carriages came through here often, or more likely, carts.

"Are we going to be okay?" Lynai whispered, a great deal of nervousness in the shorter city elf's voice.

"Of course we will." Aerie answered at once, though her tone sounded a lot less confident than her words.

"Yes, we will. I won't let either of you be harmed." Kallian said with clear determination.

The other two city elves shared a look, but they seemed nevertheless to be comforted by Kallian's bold statement. Kallian herself was comforted mostly by the presence of the knife concealed within her clothing. The knife was a simple weapon, but in Kallian's skilled hands, it could be the equal of many larger, flashier weapons. The fact that it was one of Leliana's personal knives made Kallian even more confident. Her Orlesian friend never settled for anything but the best quality in her possessions.

Kallian's musings were cut short as she heard the faint rumblings of horses and a cart approaching. The sound was coming from further into the forest, and not from the direction of Amelia's manor. Neither of her companions seemed aware of the sound until the cart was close, but Kallian didn't expect them to. Their lives revolved around living indoors and reacting to social cues. Her city elf companions weren't going to be much use out here.

Two large Orlesian packhorses came out of the darkness, followed by a heavy cart. A cloaked and hooded figure was riding at the front. Kallian peered at the figure. Whoever it was, the person appeared to be a city elf. A male city elf, if Kallian had to guess. As the cart came closer, Kallian confirmed that it was so. The stranger did not so much as look as them.

The cart came to a stop in the middle of the clearing. The wheels traced the grooves in the grass cleanly. Combined with what Kallian could tell was a bored expression on the face of the stranger, that had to mean that this process had been repeated many times. Kallian's fists tightened as she imagined the fates of every city elf that had been standing in her exact position.

Other sounds reached Kallian's ears. They came from the direction of Marquise Amelia's estate this time. It sounded like multiple people with a number of horses. The people slowly came into view, and Kallian could see two figures in the lead, with another figure behind them leading horses on foot. It was Marquise Amelia and Leliana. Behind them was Niale, holding a pair of reins in each hand.

Marquise Amelia was in her usual extravagant dress and ivory mask, though she had at least dispensed with the ridiculous heels Orlesian ladies wore outside. Beside her, Leliana had put on her supple leather gear. Kallian's heart beat faster at the sight of her friend (or was it lover now? Kallian wasn't certain) even as the sight reminded her of the strict discipline Leliana had given her only an hour ago.

* * *

Leliana walked alongside Amelia, doing her best to appear relaxed. In reality, Leliana held herself poised and ready to act. She did not like having Niale behind her, even if the city elf's hands were occupied. That could change at any moment. Amelia was perfectly capable of having instructed Niale to stab Leliana in the back, here in the forest away from any prying eyes.

"I hope that you can forgive the need for such secrecy. My partners would not be pleased if word of our dealings were to spread." Amelia said easily, combining courtesy with a clear warning to Leliana.

"Of course. I understand, cousin." Leliana answered, noting that Amelia seemed unaware that word had indeed spread about her illegal activities.

They reached a clearing soon enough. Three short figures in traveling garments were standing there, along with a horse and cart nearby. Leliana's eyes were drawn immediately to Kallian, but she forced herself to focus on the cart.

"Ah, excellent. Everyone is here. Come, cousin. It's time that I show you what I've been busy with." Amelia instructed lightly, walking over to the bed of the cart.

Leliana followed Marquise Amelia over to the cart and looked inside. Leliana wasn't certain what she was expecting to see, but a large pile of grain was not it. She opened her mouth to ask Amelia for an explanation when she saw that the Marquise had put on a very thick glove hanging from the side of the cart. It was the kind of glove a noble might use for falconry.

"Watch, cousin. And whatever you do, refrain from touching this with bare skin." Amelia instructed, reaching down and sweeping some of the grain aside.

A red glow began to shine through the grain filling the cart, and as Amelia swept more of it aside, the lyrium hiding beneath the grain came into view. It wasn't like any lyrium Leliana had ever seen. It looked to be one long, massive crystal that was threaded with bright orange veins. The red lyrium gave off a sickly glow, and Leliana had to master the impulse to back away from the thing.

"What is it?" Leliana asked simply, consciously widening her eyes.

"A rare form of lyrium. The regrettably close-minded Dwarven Merchant's Guild has banned its sale, but my associates in the Carta are willing to provide if the price is right." Amelia answered casually, allowing the grain to cover the lyrium once more.

"And you've found a buyer?" Leliana asked quietly.

"Yes. Or more accurately, the buyer found me. It seems that my land is uniquely situated. An illicit Carta surface trading post is located on the eastern edge of my domain, and if one wished to avoid the main roads heading westward, then one would need to travel through my area of the Dales." Amelia said, sounding quite pleased with the situation.

Leliana nodded, thinking hard. From the sound of it, Amelia was a smaller player in this scheme than she originally thought. She was simply the middlewoman, and her involvement seemed to be due to nothing more than dumb luck. Which meant that Leliana needed to (carefully) figure out who else was involved.

"How excellent for you, cousin. But what do you mean, the buyer found you?" Leliana asked quietly, still doing her best to look stunned.

"I was sent a few letters by an unknown individual. The buyer remains unknown to me, sadly. But their coin is reliable and their requests are few. That brings me to your part in this, Leliana." Amelia said pointedly, changing the subject to Leliana.

"Whatever it is, I'm prepared." Leliana answered with as much easy confidence as she could project.

"The buyer has requested that I do what I can to rid them of an irritant in the city of Verchiel. As you may know, the Templar Order runs customs duties in many Orlesian cities. The Chantry must get its cut, of course. The issue is, there is a Knight-Commander in Verchiel that refuses to turn a blind eye to any contraband moving through the city. As a result, the shipments of lyrium must take a lengthy detour around Lake Celestine." Amelia explained in a somewhat tighter voice.

"An unfortunate situation." Leliana murmured, already having an idea where this was going.

"Unfortunate for the buyer, and for me. But an opportunity for you, cousin. I wish you to travel along with these others. While they accompany the cart on its western detour, you are to go to Verchiel. Locate the Knight-Commander and figure out a way to change his mind. Bribery will not work, sadly. But there are any number of ways that an intelligent, skilled and attractive woman such as yourself might persuade him. Do this, and you will be made a full partner." Amelia instructed in a clear tone, looking at Leliana for her reaction.

"It will be done." Leliana answered easily.

"Excellent. Let us not waste any time then. Niale, the horses." Amelia ordered firmly, turning to look at the city elf beside her.

Niale nodded and brought forth the two saddled horses she was leading. Both were large Orlesian destriers. Niale transferred one of the reins to Leliana, who took them before using one of the stirrups to climb up onto the horse. Leliana watched as Niale brought the other horse over to Kallian and her two city elf companions.

* * *

Kallian narrowed her eyes at Niale as the villainous Head Servant came closer. Niale was smirking at her in particular, no doubt relishing the fate she assumed was in store for Kallian. Niale was going to be in for a rude surprise when Kallian returned, however. Amelia might indeed be arrested or killed at the end of this, but whichever human noble came to claim her lands would probably keep Niale on as Head Servant. Which meant that it would be down to Kallian to make certain that Niale did not continue to oppress the city elves living here.

Niale passed the reins to Aerie, who took them with shaking hands. Her task completed, Niale turned to leave, pausing only to curtsy to Amelia. Kallian watched her vanish into the darkness in the direction of Marquise Amelia's estate.

Kallian turned to look at her companions, who were gazing dubiously up at the huge Orlesian destrier next to them. Even with stirrups, it would be a challenge for her city elf companions to get onto the horse. Lynai, as the shortest among them, went first. Kallian and Aerie helped Lynai climb up onto the horse, alternatively providing footholds and pushing her the rest of the way up. Aerie followed, which left Kallian last.

Should they sit three astride? The Orlesian destrier, used to carrying human knights in heavy armor, looked as though it had barely noticed the weight of the two city elf women sitting on it. Kallian's weight wouldn't change much. But as Kallian prepared to leap up onto the back of the horse, Leliana came forward with her own. Leliana shifted backward to make space for Leliana on the saddle and extended her hand.

Kallian took Leliana's hand, swallowed as the simple contact made her stomach flutter, and allowed her Orlesian friend to pull her up onto the saddle. Kallian couldn't help but blush slightly. She was pressed up snugly against Leliana, who now had her arms around Kallian, as Leliana had taken hold of the reins once more. Sitting on a horse was not doing any favors to Kallian's still-tender bottom. Not that she was going to give Leliana the satisfaction of complaining, of course. Kallian was so caught up in the memory of her recent spanking that she only dimly noticed Marquise Amelia had walked up alongside them.

"I trust you won't be too...distracted?" Marquise Amelia asked dryly, clearly having noticed Leliana's actions.

"It's a long way to Verchiel, cousin. Surely you won't mind if I have a little fun along the way?" Leliana said with a laugh, making Kallian blush once more.

"So long as you remember your task. Good luck, Leliana. I expect to receive a favorable letter from you." Amelia instructed, stepping backward.

Marquise Amelia looked at the stranger riding at the front of the cart and nodded. The male city elf (who Kallian was almost certain belonged to the Thieves Guild) grabbed the reins and used them to turn the horses around. As soon as the cart was facing the other direction, the man snapped the reins lightly, which caused the horses to trot forward, pulling the cart as they went. Leliana did the same and the horse they were riding fell in behind the cart. Kallian heard Aerie snap the reins as well, which meant her two companions were in the rear of the small convoy.

This wasn't what Kallian was expecting. How could she keep a lookout for possible attack when she was sitting in Leliana's lap like this? It wasn't entirely unpleasant, however. Some of the same pleasurable feelings of submission as before were returning to Kallian. She just wasn't yet used to allowing someone else to have control over her in this fashion.

"It really is a long way to Verchiel. I wonder how we'll occupy ourselves?" Leliana asked teasingly in Kallian's ear.

Kallian opened her mouth to respond, but her answer was lost when Leliana bent down to kiss her neck. Instead of her intended response, Kallian let out a gasp. She could hear Aerie and Lynai titter behind them. They had a bird's eye view of what Leliana was doing. Kallian could feel her blush deepen, even if there was nobody in front of her to see it.

Kallian's eyes widened as she realized that this was likely going to continue for the whole trip. How could she stand the embarrassment of being Leliana's plaything the entire way? It was impossible. And yet, Kallian knew that if Leliana wished it to be so, then Kallian would doubtlessly play along.

By Mythal, how long was this trip going to take?


	9. Learning Her Place

Leliana was getting tired. She hadn't gotten any sleep tonight. They had been traveling through the Southern Dales for a couple of hours now. The cart leading their small convoy was being driven by a member of the Thieves Guild, and he had clearly made this trip often enough that he could follow the path with his eyes closed. That made it easy for Leliana, Kallian, and their two companions to simply follow the cart at a slow pace. Every half hour or so, Leliana would transfer the reins to Kallian while she dozed in the saddle.

Leliana couldn't get any real sleep like that, but Kallian could. Her city elf friend's smaller frame meant that she could lean back into Leliana and actually fall asleep when she wasn't holding the reins. Leliana was a touch jealous, but she liked having Kallian nestle against her in such a trusting way.

They were nearing what Leliana believed was the edge of Marquise Amelia's lands. It would surely be safer to camp inside of it than in some unclaimed part of the Dales. Leliana had spotted a small clearing ahead and decided to stop and make camp. Technically, she hadn't been told by Amelia that she was in charge, but Leliana decided to act as if she was. What was the cart driver going to do, continue without his guards? It would be a problem if he did, because all of their supplies were hanging from the sides of the cart. But Leliana was confident that he would not.

"Let's stop here." Leliana called out, turning her horse towards the clearing.

Their two city elf companions were quick to follow her, as Leliana could have guessed. The cart driver swung his head around and frowned, but ultimately did likewise. Leliana couldn't help but smile. Being in charge was definitely growing on her.

* * *

Kallian climbed down from her horse easily enough, but Aerie and Lynai needed some assistance to get down from their own. Kallian didn't really need to think about it; keeping an eye out for the needs of her brethren was second nature to her.

"Alright, I'll gather some firewood." Kallian offered after her two companions had safely dismounted.

"Very well. We will unload the cart." Aerie answered stoutly, with Lynai nodding beside her.

The three city-elves split up to begin their tasks. Kallian bent down to pick up any small sticks close by, as they would be needed to start the campfire. Out of the corner of her eye, Kallian noticed that Leliana had finished tethering the horses to a nearby tree. But instead of helping set up camp, Leliana had opted to lean against the cart and watch their efforts.

"Oh, you can leave that last bedroll in the cart. Miakis and I will be sharing one." Leliana called out casually to Aerie.

Kallian, who had been busily gathering sticks off of the ground, immediately dropped the ones in her hands. Aerie and Lynai tittered and threw interested looks Kallian's way. Refusing to meet anyone's gaze, and with her cheeks quite red, Kallian bent down to pick up the pile of sticks at her feet. She had never liked being teased, but it seemed as though Leliana enjoyed flaunting their relationship to others. Kallian didn't want to ruin Leliana's fun, so this was something that she needed to get used to. Didn't she?

* * *

Doing nothing while others worked wasn't nearly as easy as Leliana made it appear. She had to clamp down on her natural impulse to want to help the two city-elves as they wrestled with the task of unloading their camping gear. But if Leliana was going to do a plausible job of acting as Kallian's noble mistress, then she needed to get into the role. For what it was worth, nobody here seemed surprised that Leliana wasn't lifting a finger.

Not that the opinions of their companions really mattered. Kallian's opinion was the only thing Leliana cared about. Her friend's reaction when Leliana had announced their sleeping arrangements had been adorable. Even though Leliana was entirely aware of how sensitive Kallian was to being teased, it was going to be very difficult for Leliana to hold back.

It was interesting to see how the three city elves quickly and fairly split the work between them. The cart driver, for his part, had decided to ignore the presence of anyone here. No doubt he thought he knew the fate of his traveling companions and had no intention of getting close to them. That suited Leliana just fine. The copper-haired bard didn't want any friendship to develop between him and the others. Leliana needed to know what he knew about this smuggling operation, and she would likely need to get rough for him to talk. Now wasn't the time for that, though.

Kallian had done an excellent job of starting the campfire, as Leliana had seen her do many times before. But with that done, she had stepped back and let the other two city-elves take over. Kallian was inept, culinarily speaking, so Leliana wasn't surprised. But that gave her an idea. She had packed a few choice items in her saddlebags before leaving Amelia's estate. Now seemed like a pretty good time to get some use out of one of them.

"Miakis. Come here, please." Leliana called out, motioning with her hand for Kallian to come over.

Kallian blinked and looked over at her. She stood up and walked over to where Leliana was standing, an uncertain look on her face. Seeing that, Leliana smiled to help put Kallian at ease.

"I packed a pitcher and a few teacups before I left the estate, along with some dried tea leaves. Retrieve them from my saddlebags and brew me some tea, please. Ask one of your friends how to do it if you don't know how." Leliana instructed in a cool, clear tone.

"Yes, my lady." Kallian answered at once, miming a curtsy even though she wasn't wearing a skirt.

Leliana's lip twitched at that. Kallian's curtsies were awkward and unpracticed, but they were nevertheless endearing. Maybe she would devote an hour or two to teaching Kallian how to do them perfectly, though that would have to wait until she got Kallian into something with an actual skirt. Maybe when they reached Verchiel...

* * *

Kallian went over to Leliana's saddlebags as she had been requested to. Well, ordered in actuality, but if Kallian minded that kind of thing, she wouldn't have agreed to this kind of relationship in the first place. Kallian unzipped one and began looking for the items in question. The silver pitcher was large and easy to find, but the teacups proved elusive.

Leliana had certainly packed a lot. Kallian pushed small articles of clothing aside, reasoning that they had to belong to Leliana, when she noticed one item in particular. It was soft and pure white and it reminded her of the serving dress Kallian had worn for the past few days. Wait a minute. It was the serving dress! Well, not the same one, exactly, but it was the same kind.

Kallian swallowed nervously and only kept herself from looking over at Leliana with difficulty. Did her friend want Kallian to wear this again? Apparently. Kallian began rooting through the bag more slowly now, conscious of the prospect that other items in here might have something to do with her. A large wooden hairbrush gave her significant pause. It was long and flat on the opposite side of the teeth. Was it just a hairbrush, or had Leliana packed it for a different reason?

This time, Kallian was unable to prevent herself from looking over at Leliana. Her friend had a knowing smile on her face, which only made Kallian more nervous. The spankings she had received hours ago had been painful enough, and Leliana had only been using her hand. How much more punishing would they be if Leliana used a hairbrush like this? Kallian was rather intimidated by the prospect. And she had the sneaking suspicion that she would know exactly how the wooden hairbrush felt on her bare ass before long.

The thought of Leliana paddling her, perhaps with Aerie and Lynai in earshot (and maybe even in full view of them both) made Kallian squirm in place. Leliana was certainly capable of doing just that. The Orlesian bard had shown how serious she was earlier tonight when Kallian had been unable to retrieve some raspberry macarons within the time limit she had been given. The resulting spanking Leliana had given her (Kallian's second of the night) had established a couple of things quite clearly to Kallian: that Leliana expected her instructions to be obeyed, and that there would be consequences for failing to do so.

Amid Kallian's musings, her hands found the cups in one of the smaller pouches of Leliana's saddlebags. That was one task finished, at least. Kallian collected the pitcher along with the small cups and brought them over to the campfire. She truly would need to rely on her city elf companions to help, as Kallian had never brewed a cup of tea in her life. And Kallian could just imagine Leliana's reaction if the tea was not to her satisfaction.

* * *

Leliana sipped her tea slowly by the campfire, trying her best to mimic the air of a haughty noble. Kallian had done a fine job of brewing the tea, though she had clearly needed her two friends to guide her every step of the way. That gave Leliana an idea. She had assumed that the two city elves accompanying them, Aerie and Lynai, were going to be dead weight. Leliana had given some vague thought to finding a place for them in Verchiel (mostly because she was quite certain that Kallian would insist on helping them), but maybe they would be of use to her after all.

Kallian's heart was certainly in the right place, but her skill as a maid left a good deal to be desired. Perhaps these two city elves, already well-versed in proper etiquette, could tutor Kallian. The idea held merit. The more Leliana thought about it, the more it seemed like everyone would get something out of it. Aerie and Lynai would be paid to teach instead of having to do the work themselves, Leliana would not need to rely on her inexpert knowledge of how a lady's maid should conduct herself, and as for Kallian...

Well, Kallian might not think so right now, but Leliana had the feeling that her city elf friend would secretly enjoy having to take instruction from Aerie and Lynai. Being placed a rung or two below her current equals would likely appeal to Kallian's hidden masochism. Leliana had correctly predicted that Kallian would love to be spanked, after all. But that would have to wait until Leliana had a chance to gauge her friend's reaction to the idea.

"Excellent work, Miakis." Leliana commented with a nod, setting the empty cup down.

"Thank you, my lady." Kallian responded next to her, with a small but clear note of relief in her voice.

"I am quite tired, however. Come." Leliana instructed coolly, standing up.

Leliana turned to walk over to their shared bedroll. She did not wait for any sign that Kallian would follow. Leliana was quite confident that Kallian would and wished to display that confidence. Sure enough, Kallian was quick to follow her. Their bedroll had been dragged away from the campfire and was placed behind a large oak tree. That would give them a measure of privacy. They would need that small bit of privacy soon enough.

"Take your clothes off, Kal. I've heard that shared bedrolls are warmer if both people are naked." Leliana instructed in a softer tone than before, now that they were alone.

"Really? And where did you hear that?" Kallian answered skeptically, though she began stripping off her traveling gear as Leliana had indicated.

They were alone together, which meant that they could dispense with the rigidity of their public roles. To a degree. Leliana was looking forward to the moment when Kallian strayed a little too far into outright cheek. Leliana would then deliver a long, hard, thorough spanking that would doubtlessly remind Kallian of the need to remain respectful to her even in private.

"Is it really the place of a maid to question her lady like that?" Leliana asked in a joking tone, though a small part of her was not.

Kallian perhaps sensed the thinness of the ice beneath her, because she only smiled ruefully. In very little time, both of them had stripped off their traveling gear. Leliana got in the bedroll first, then held open the flap so that Kallian could join her. Her city elf friend slid inside and tied off the bedroll on her side of it. Leliana could already tell that this was an excellent idea. Kallian's smaller frame helped to avoid either of them feeling cramped together. Already, she could feel Kallian's warmth slowly spreading throughout their shared bedroll.

"Well, this is pleasant. I can't believe we spent so many cold nights apart from each other." Leliana remarked sadly, shifting around so that she could spoon Kallian.

"Oh? Regretting that you didn't use me as your personal bedwarmer before?" Kallian asked with a laugh, leaning back into Leliana.

"I am, yes. A new rule, perhaps: You are to ensure that my bed is nice and toasty by warming it up before I get in." Leliana declared softly, leaning forward to deliver a quick kiss to Kallian's neck.

Kallian laughed again. It was nice to be so near to her city elf friend, to feel the warmth of her body next to Leliana's. Their shared nudity would probably have resulted in some spirited activity otherwise, but both of them were so tired that neither really had the energy. Leliana simply closed her eyes and waited to catch some of the sleep that she had been denied so far. At least, until her friend spoke up.

"So, what's the plan, if I may ask?" Kallian asked very softly, sounding drowsy herself.

"Well, I'm thinking that we continue until we get to the fork in the road. You're supposed to continue around Lake Celestine while I head to Verchiel, but we're not splitting up. We should all head to Verchiel together. I'll figure out a way to get us through the city." Leliana explained quietly, dropping her voice still further.

"You have to persuade that Knight-Commander, right? How are you going to do it?" Kallian asked with a touch of concern in her voice.

"I won't really know for sure until I meet him. But I have a few ideas in mind." Leliana answered, sounding more confident than she felt.

"You can always ask me for help, you know." Kallian murmured, sounding near to sleep herself.

Now it was Leliana's turn to keep her friend awake. She wanted Kallian to begin learning how to be a lady's maid as soon as possible. The image of Kallian publically adopting the persona of a perfect Orlesian maid, graceful and demure, held quite a bit of appeal to Leliana. She loved Kallian's personality as it was, of course, but she also liked the thought of having a maid that others might envy.

"I'll keep that in mind, Kal. But on the subject: Until we get there, I'd like you to start learning from your two friends on how to be a proper servant." Leliana remarked lightly.

"What do you mean?" Kallian asked quickly, her previous drowsiness having faded.

"I mean that I want you to be their student. Tomorrow morning, I will pay them to be your teachers so that it's nice and formalized. You are to listen to them and obey their instructions." Leliana ordered with just the tiniest hint of sadism in her voice.

Kallian said nothing, though her breathing quickened considerably. Excellent. Leliana knew Kallian's unconscious mannerisms well enough to tell that she was excited by the prospect. That was a relief. If Kallian had reacted poorly to the idea then, of course, Leliana would not have forced to do it. But this way, everyone would get something they wanted.

"I'll expect some improvement by the time we reach Verchiel. If all goes well, I will hire them to be your long term tutors. So make sure you stay on their good side." Leliana explained in an amused tone, indulging her sadistic streak still further.

Kallian let out a very quiet moan at the prospect. Oh yes, Leliana could read her like a book. Kallian was intoxicated at the idea of having those two placed so firmly above her. Leliana reached out with a very light touch to see if Kallian's body was responding as well. Her nipples were quite hard, and that gave Leliana all the confirmation she required.

"I see you like the idea. I'm glad I thought of it then. Aren't you grateful?" Leliana asked teasingly.

Kallian didn't respond, other than to moan again. Leliana slid her hand down until it arrived at its destination between Kallian's legs. Her lover was quite wet, which was a little surprising. She hadn't done anything physical to Kallian other than brush her nipples lightly. Was she really this turned on just by the scenario Leliana was laying out for her? If that was the case, then Leliana wanted to see whether she could make Kallian climax mostly through whispering to her.

"Orlesian society is very hierarchical. Your fellow servants back at the estate gave you a pass, I think, mostly because they assumed a Fereldan wouldn't be capable of navigating it. But you won't have that excuse now. Your new teachers over there will feel they deserve respect, and you will give it. I want you to call them "Miss Aerie" and "Miss Lynai" from now on." Leliana whispered wickedly, expounding on her idea.

Kallian moaned even louder at that. Her voice was starting to carry. Leliana smiled and brought her other hand up to Kallian's mouth. She could have simply covered it and muffled Kallian's voice that way, but instead, Leliana wiggled a finger insistently on the surface of Kallian's lips until her city-elf friend opened her mouth and allowed two of Leliana's fingers inside. Kallian sucked on them eagerly, which hopefully meant that she would be too busy doing that to announce their current activity to the rest of their traveling companions.

"And there is to be absolutely no back-talk. This is not Fereldan. As a proper servant in Orlais, when your betters speak, you listen. Unless you're invited to say otherwise, it's "Yes, Miss Aerie" or "No, Miss Lynai". I will tell them to come to me immediately if they ever feel you're insufficiently humble and obedient." Leliana whispered once more, knowing that her every word was playing on Kallian's masochistic tastes.

The entire time she was speaking, Leliana had been tracing Kallian's pussy very lightly with her fingers. Her city-elf lover was wetter than ever. At the beginning, Kallian had shied away somewhat, but now Kallian was moving her hips in the direction of Leliana's fingers, seemingly desperate for more satisfying contact. Leliana was quick to adjust, however, and kept it so that her fingers were just barely brushing Kallian's pussy. She wanted her lover to climax mainly through emotional stimulation. And Kallian was nearly there.

"Of course, maybe they won't need to come to me. I could simply give those two permission to discipline you themselves. Would you like that?" Leliana asked curiously, honestly wondering what Kallian's reaction to that idea would be.

Kallian reacted by letting out her loudest (though still thankfully muffled) moan so far. Kallian had to be right at the edge of climaxing, and she needed only a tiny push now. So Leliana gave it to her.

"Yes, that sounds like a fine idea. But I'd rather not miss out on paddling your cute little butt. So after you get a spanking from each of them, you'll get another one from me." Leliana whispered in a rush, already imagining having a thoroughly disciplined Kallian meekly crawling over her lap for another dose.

Kallian let out a loud whine that was only partially muffled by Leliana's fingers. Her hips began shaking, and even though Leliana was barely even touching her pussy, it was clear that Kallian was orgasming. Being aware that her lover secretly enjoyed humiliation, Leliana took her fingers out of her lover's mouth, allowing Kallian to unknowingly announce her pleasurable moans to their companions still seated around the campfire.

Mostly bereft as she was of physical contact, Kallian's climax was brief but intense. After a few seconds of shaking and moaning, Kallian quieted down. Leliana was quick to offer a number of kisses to her lover's neck while Kallian collected herself. Eventually, Kallian's breathing calmed down enough for Leliana to feel they could have a real discussion.

"I see you enjoyed that, Kal. But it's okay if you just liked it as a fantasy. Tell me now, if so. It'll be too late to back out once I hire them in the morning." Leliana said quietly, already preparing to hide any sense of disappointment she would feel if Kallian did indeed want to back out.

Kallian turned herself around in their bedroll so that she was looking into Leliana's eyes in the very dim light. It was hard to tell what her lover's expression was, but she thought that Kallian looked unusually pensive.

"Before I answer, let me ask you something. And be honest. Do you really want a lady's maid that can cook and dress you and act properly in public? And all of the other stuff I can't do very well right now?" Kallian asked in a quiet but intent voice.

"I love you as you are right now, Kal. But I can't deny that I would like it if you could do those things." Leliana answered after a moment, having decided to simply be honest.

"Alright, then. I'll learn from them." Kallian said resolutely, nodding slightly.

Leliana smiled and kissed Kallian. Then, for no other reason than she felt like expressing her possessiveness, Leliana inserted her tongue boldly into Kallian's mouth and kissed her deeply. Kallian, for her part, accepted Leliana's tongue eagerly. Their shared kiss lasted only a few moments before Leliana pulled back.

"Thank you, Kal. I know you think you're making an unpleasant sacrifice for me here, but you're only half right. It's a sacrifice, but you're a natural submissive. You'll enjoy taking orders from those two. Trust me," Leliana asserted confidently.

"Yes, my lady." Kallian answered with a touch of sarcasm.

A sarcastic answer was hardly befitting a proper lady's maid, but Leliana didn't mind. Kallian had better guard her tongue around her two city-elf companions, however. Leliana knew how intoxicating power could be to those who held little of it themselves. Higher ranking servants often made the lives of those beneath them quite difficult, depending on their personality. She didn't know Aerie and Lynai well enough to tell how they would use their newfound power. Kallian would be the one to find that out, and Leliana knew that all of them would have quite enough to occupy them on the long trip to Verchiel.


	10. Training

"Are you listening, Kallian?" Lynai asked behind her on the saddle, her voice sharp.

"Yes, Miss Lynai." Kallian answered automatically, quickly looking away from Leliana beside her and returning her gaze to the path ahead of them.

"Then what was I saying?" Lynai asked with considerable skepticism.

Kallian racked her brains for a moment but could come up with nothing. The truth was, she hadn't been listening to the Orlesian city elf's boring lecture. Kallian had been more interested in hearing Leliana and Aerie's conversation beside them. The need for Kallian to begin learning the ways of a proper Orlesian maid necessitated that she sometimes ride with her instructors instead of her lover. It was only when Kallian was bereft of Leliana's warm presence that she realized how much she liked being in her lover's lap. Instead, it was Aerie who was currently occupying that space.

It had been about a week since Kallian had agreed to begin learning from her two city elf companions. In truth, they were her companions no longer. Aerie and Lynai were her teachers now. It had been a little awkward for all involved for the first few days. The two Orlesian city elves had spoken to Kallian normally and had seemed hesitant to be too strict. Perhaps they had been intimidated by Kallian's obvious physical ability. But successive days of hearing "Yes, Miss Aerie" and "Yes, Miss Lynai", along with Kallian's general air of meekness (Leliana's idea, naturally) had made the two city elves much more comfortable in their new roles.

Aerie, for her part, was a gentle instructor. The uncommonly tall, dark-haired Orlesian elf seemed to take no particular enjoyment in being put in a position of authority over Kallian. Although Aerie had stopped phrasing her orders as requests and could be quite unsparing with her criticism, she was nevertheless patient with Kallian's efforts.

Lynai (or Miss Lynai, as Kallian increasingly thought of her) was a different story. The short, auburn-haired city elf had clearly found power to her liking. She seemed to take inordinate satisfaction in her new role as Kallian's instructor. Although a small part of her liked being ordered around, it was for Leliana's sake that Kallian maintained her meek, submissive air around Lynai.

"I...I don't know. I apologize, Miss Lynai." Kallian answered eventually, already wincing.

"A maid should always listen attentively. When your lady speaks, are you going to make her repeat herself?" Lynai asked again from behind Kallian, her voice waspish.

"No, Miss Lynai." Kallian responded hurriedly.

"I should hope not. When we make camp, you will polish every pair of shoes we have until they shine. I expect you to reflect on the need to pay attention while you do so." Lynai ordered with satisfaction, her high voice nevertheless firm.

"Yes, Miss Lynai." Kallian answered without enthusiasm, groaning inwardly.

Lynai returned to her lecture on what Kallian now knew was threading techniques. Kallian could hardly be more bored at the subject, but she could not afford to have Lynai find her attention wandering again. Kallian spared only a second to glance over at Leliana, who was smiling knowingly at her. Evidently, her lover found the whole thing amusing to hear.

It was more evidence of the inequity of the current situation. Leliana could listen in on Kallian's figurative dressing down, whereas Kallian herself could not afford to try to eavesdrop on Leliana's conversation. Most people might have found that cause for annoyance, but it only served to feed her burgeoning masochism. Kallian felt that now-familiar submissive twinge and smiled slightly.

* * *

"I hope Lynai isn't being too strict with Kallian. I think the power might have gone to her head if you ask me." Aerie said conversationally in front of her, looking at the two city elves beside them.

"Oh, don't worry. Kallian responds to that kind of thing. The stricter, the better." Leliana remarked casually.

"Really? Hmm." Aerie said thoughtfully, tilting her head.

Leliana kept herself from laughing, but just barely. Unless she missed her guess, Kallian would be getting a touch more of the domination she craved in the near future. Aerie probably wouldn't go very far; Leliana could tell that the tall city elf had little interest in that kind of thing. Not like her friend, at least. The short, prissy Orlesian elf who was currently going on and on about needlework to her lover was a natural dominant. Lynai probably hadn't known it, having never really had any power to speak of, but she was learning quickly.

All in all, Leliana was quite satisfied with how matters had been progressing. Every night so far, Kallian had shown a slightly improved grasp of the etiquette Leliana had seen from maids in Orlais. Never having had a maid herself, Leliana didn't have the firmest grasp of what was expected, but that was what Aerie and Lynai were being paid to do. And so far, they were doing a fine job of teaching Kallian the ropes.

It had been a tranquil and pleasant journey so far. That was going to change soon, unfortunately. Their little group was nearing the point where they were supposed to split up, with Leliana heading to Verchiel and the rest of them going around Lake Celestine. Leliana had already decided not to go along with the plan. As soon as that happened, though, the driver of the cart in front of them would know that something was amiss. His guard would be up, which meant Leliana would be well advised to begin interrogating him before that happened.

She would need to do it tonight. Perhaps Kallian might be able to help with that. Assuming she wasn't too busy polishing everyone's shoes, of course. Leliana smiled once more and turned to watch her lover for a while. The emerald green leaves of the Dales, as pretty as they were, couldn't compare to the sight of Kallian beside her.

* * *

Kallian was only finished polishing Aerie's shoes when Leliana came up to her and sat down. They had made camp more than an hour ago. Aerie herself was chatting animatedly with Lynai by the campfire. Kallian had been given enough time to polish the footwear of her two instructors as well as her own, but unfortunately, she was still only halfway done with the task Lynai had given her.

"Did you really have to pack four pairs of shoes, my lady?" Kallian asked Leliana in a sour but quiet tone, as she did not want to run the risk of her instructors hearing her complaining.

"Sorry, Kal. But Amelia was quite generous with her wardrobe, and you know how much I love shoes." Leliana remarked a touch apologetically, though only a touch.

Kallian would have contented herself with a grumble in response, except that her recent training in etiquette prevented her from doing so. A lady's maid did not grumble. Nor did she grouse, or gripe, or mutter. If a lady's maid was determined to express dissatisfaction, then she was permitted to sigh very quietly, so that her lady could decide to either address the sound or ignore it. So it was that Kallian let out a sigh that she hoped Leliana would pick up on.

Leliana did, in fact, pick up on it. Her lover leaned over and kissed Kallian on the cheek lightly. And just like that, Kallian's irritation melted away. Kallian tried to hide it, of course, as she would rather Leliana not know how easily Kallian's annoyance could be dispersed. From the knowing smile on Leliana's face, however, it appeared to be a futile effort on her part.

"I'm thinking it's time I talked to the driver. We're nearing the fork in the road. At the pace we're traveling, we'll reach it tomorrow." Leliana said very quietly, speaking to Kallian but looking over to where the cart driver was dozing.

Kallian followed her lover's gaze. The cart driver was lying lengthwise on the bench where he sat most of the day. He had placed his hat over his eyes, and whether he was sleeping or just resting was impossible to tell.

"Do you need my help with that?" Kallian asked intently.

"I do, yes. Can you tell me what kind of weapons he has on him?" Leliana asked in a casual tone, though her eyes were alert as she continued to watch the driver.

"Two daggers. A large, heavy one on his belt, and a smaller one hidden in his boot." Kallian answered readily, having taken mental note of that days beforehand.

"That's what I thought. Do you think you can relieve him of those before I talk to him? I think finding himself unarmed, with me holding his weapons, might get him in the mood to chat." Leliana remarked with an easy smile, shifting her gaze to Kallian.

Now that the time had come for some action, however small, Kallian nearly slipped into her old habits. Something flippant and probably very Fereldan was on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped herself from saying it in time. That was not how a lady's maid should speak. Instead, Kallian stood up and mimed a curtsy to Leliana, as she was supposed to.

"Yes, my lady. Consider it done." Kallian said with a pleasing-sounding voice, the one Aerie had helped her settle on a few days ago.

Leliana's eyebrows rose slightly, but then she nodded approvingly. Kallian smiled and turned to do as Leliana asked. She would need to move as stealthily as possible. For one thing, Kallian did not want either of her teachers noticing her and asking her what she was doing when her task was not yet completed. For another, it would very helpful if the driver was not alerted to her presence.

Thankfully, Aerie and Lynai didn't notice a thing. They were sitting close to the fire, and as long as Kallian skirted the edge of the camp, their night-blind eyes couldn't see her. Kallian walked noiselessly over to the cart, her skills as a rogue, though a touch rusty perhaps, having quickly returned to her.

The driver was still resting as peacefully on the bench as before. Kallian quickly sidled up to him. Some amateur thieves would waste minutes at a time watching a target nervously, trying to make certain the coast was clear. But all they were really doing was allowing more time for a spot of bad luck to ruin their chance. It was usually best to do the deed quickly and get it over with.

Kallian, with the lightest of touches, shifted the driver's coat out of the way and found the dagger sheathed at his hip. It wasn't too difficult to ease the dagger out of the sheath silently, and as soon as Kallian did that, she took his small backup weapon from his boot. Her task complete, Kallian turned around and crept back over to Leliana, who silently clapped at her.

"Let's see your average Orlesian maid do that." Kallian whispered cockily, handing the weapons over to Leliana.

Leliana smiled and tucked the blades into her belt. As soon as they were out of the way, Leliana pulled Kallian into an embrace and kissed her deeply. Kallian melted into her lover, reflecting for just a moment on how only Leliana could make her feel so cherished. After that, Kallian had a hard time thinking about anything too deeply.

Several minutes passed in quite a pleasant fashion for Kallian. Leliana's kisses were becoming more insistent, and her lover even reached beneath her top to pinch Kallian's nipples lightly. Kallian began making soft, plaintive noises of pure need that Leliana couldn't help but hear. To Kallian's deep disappointment, though, Leliana broke off the kiss shortly thereafter. Kallian couldn't help but let out a small whine, to which Leliana only smiled at.

"Patience, Kal. I'm going to go talk to the driver. Finish polishing my shoes, then get into our bedroll. I want you to touch yourself until I get there. I expect to find you perched on the edge of climax and absolutely begging me to allow you to do so." Leliana ordered loftily, her voice sounding supremely confident.

"Y-Yes, my lady." Kallian answered at once, her eyes wide and her breathing fast.

"Remember. Not without my permission. If you can't hold back, then you'll find yourself becoming thoroughly acquainted with my hairbrush." Leliana warned, grinning at Kallian.

Kallian's eyes widened still further, and she felt her cheeks heat up. She knew that Leliana would love to have an excuse to paddle her. And as embarrassing as it was to admit it to herself, she also knew that Leliana would not find it difficult to strip Kallian of all dignity and composure. The fact that her new teachers, Aerie and Lynai, would doubtlessly hear her humiliating punishment was one more reason to follow Leliana's instructions to the letter.

"Yes, my lady." Kallian replied in as subservient a tone as she could craft, squirming slightly.

* * *

Leliana nodded with satisfaction and stood up. Kallian could be completely adorable sometimes. The Hero of Fereldan everyone knew was courageous, unyielding and assured, and Leliana had seen Kallian embody those traits in public countless times. But as soon as the subject was turned to her own personal, private feelings, Kallian's inner vulnerability became clear. She could become quite biddable and comfort-seeking, as Leliana had just seen.

Kallian picked up one of Leliana's spare shoes and got to work polishing them with a spare bit of cloth. Leliana watched her fondly for a few moments, feeling the urge to tease her lover a little more, but she reminded herself of the need to be patient as well. The issue with the cart driver had to be attended to.

Leliana turned and walked calmly over to the cart. The city elf driver had not stirred once as Kallian had skillfully relieved him of his weapons. Leliana might have expected more out of a member of the Thieves Guild, but few people could hope to match her lover's ability as a rogue. Certainly not Leliana herself, as Kallian clearly had her beat in hand-to-hand skill.

"Ahem. AHEM." Leliana said pointedly, raising her voice at the end.

The city elf driver shifted. He used a hand to push the brim of his hat up and looked at Leliana warily. They had barely spoken in the week they had been traveling together. Without ever quite clarifying each other's roles, they had settled into a simple routine. The driver would lead the convoy and stop when Leliana told him to. It had worked for everyone so far. The driver had to be wondering what had changed.

"I think it's time we had a chat." Leliana said simply, wanting to gauge his reaction.

"...About what?" The driver replied slowly, his wariness increasing.

"About where you're taking these girls. About what you're doing with Amelia's partners. And everything you know about the Lyrium in this cart." Leliana said with easy confidence, offering him a tight smile.

The cart driver gave a short laugh and looked away. While we did so, Leliana did not miss the way his hand drifted over to his waist. The way he froze as soon as he realized his dagger was gone was satisfying to see. Abandoning any pretext, he grabbed for the spare knife in his boot, only to turn ashen as he realized that it too had been taken. Leliana stepped closer to him and put her hands on her hips. The cart driver followed the motion of her hands and saw, to his considerable fear, where his weapons now were.

"Here's how this is going to work: I'm going to ask you some questions and you'll answer to the best of your ability. If I think you're being honest, then you won't need to worry about a thing. But if I think you're not being honest, well..." Leliana finished delicately, fingering the pommel of the larger dagger tucked into her waist.

"Whoa, whoa. I just drive the cart, that's all." The city elf protested weakly, raising his hands with his palms out.

"See, that's not a good start. I know you belong to the Thieves Guild. And I know you've made this trip many times, knowing full well what happens at the end of it." Leliana said, shaking her head and pulling the dagger out with an air of regret.

"Take it easy! Look, I'll talk!" The driver said in a panic, his eyes going wide.

"Yes, you will. I better like what you have to say, too. Because if not, then I'll be expressing my dissatisfaction with this." Leliana said coolly, switching her grip on the dagger so that the tip pointed upwards toward him.

The cart driver began speaking quickly, tripping over his words in his haste to tell her anything that she wanted to know. Privately, Leliana was relieved. Kallian would have wanted her to show restraint, especially since the driver here was one of her kin. He was hardly worthy of sympathy in Leliana's opinion, but if Kallian preferred that he be spared, then Leliana would do that.

* * *

Kallian kept her voice down as best as she was able. It was hard enough to keep herself on the edge of climaxing without also worrying about whether she was being too loud. What could be taking Leliana so long? Kallian had watched Leliana closely until it was clear, even from the other side of the campsite, that the driver was no threat. Leliana didn't have to get rough, which Kallian appreciated. The cart driver was a member of the Thieves Guild and was probably scum, but all the same, she didn't want to see him hurt. Who knew if some dire circumstance had forced him into this role? Kallian was inclined to go easy on him, and she was glad to see that Leliana appeared to be of the same mind.

Kallian wanted to listen in to the interrogation, of course, but she had her instructions. As soon as she was finished polishing Leliana's shoes, Kallian went over to their bedroll as she had been told. She undressed quickly and slipped inside. She had done this every night that they had been traveling now. Leliana had not been joking when she had told Kallian that she wanted her bedroll nice and toasty before she got in it. Though it was a slight hassle, Kallian didn't mind. She was happy to do what she could to make her lover more comfortable.

There were Leliana's more recent instructions to follow afterward, though. Kallian tried to do as she had been told, but it had been awkward at first. It was hard to get excited like this without Leliana there. As the minutes passed, Kallian had become a little concerned, as Leliana had been quite clear on what state she wanted to see Kallian in when she returned. Would her lover use that hairbrush on her, if not? Almost certainly. Leliana had made it quite clear by now that when she gave an order, Leliana expected Kallian to follow it or else she would receive a spanking. Ironically enough, it was that very thought that began to get Kallian in the mood.

Images of Leliana paddling her danced in her mind. She imagined lying over Leliana's lap without a stitch of clothing on, being disciplined in full view of her two teachers. Aerie might have sympathy for her, but Lynai would no doubt find the sight satisfying to see. In very little time indeed, Kallian was able to bring herself to the edge of orgasm. Now Kallian's problem was holding back. It wasn't easy. Kallian had to cease touching herself before she came, but she couldn't afford to wait more than a few seconds before starting up again. Not if she wanted to obey Leliana's command to keep herself perched right on the edge.

Kallian quickly realized how torturous this was. She wanted to climax badly, and as the minutes went by, the desire to do so only became stronger. Where was Leliana? Kallian couldn't see the rest of the camp from behind the bush their bedroll had been dragged to. She had done so earlier in order to give them some privacy, but now it meant that Kallian wouldn't be able to see Leliana approaching. And neither did she complain, even to the empty air. A lady's maid was expected to be quiet and demure whenever possible. So it was that Kallian continued to rub her pussy in silence, unable to give her body the release it desperately wanted. Finally, after about 10 or more increasingly unbearable minutes of this, she heard Leliana's soft footsteps approaching. Her lover had a pensive look on her face as she came out from behind the bush, but her expression softened as soon as she saw Kallian in their shared bedroll.

"I see you're doing what I told you to. I'm impressed, Kal." Leliana said with a smile, taking in the sight of Kallian's desperate squirming.

"Can...can I cum, my lady? Please?" Kallian requested hopefully, not having the time for any inhibitions she might normally have had.

"Someone's eager. Don't you want to hear about what I learned?" Leliana asked in a teasing tone as she raised her eyebrows.

"I do...but later. Please let me cum. Please." Kallian begged softly, aware of how humiliating this memory was going to be later, but not particularly caring at the moment.

"Hmm. You've been a good girl today. And you did ask nicely…" Leliana said in a considering tone of voice, looking for all the world as if she was thinking deeply about the question.

Some part of Kallian was aware that Leliana would obviously let her cum momentarily, but in her overwhelmed state, she couldn't think logically enough to take that into account. All Kallian knew was that she needed to cum more than anything. She required her mistress's permission to do so, and Leliana had yet to give it. Kallian finally let out a desperate whine, which made Leliana smile again. Slowly, (unnecessarily so, it seemed to Kallian) she bent down until she was kneeling beside where Kallian was lying on the ground.

Leliana touched Kallian's chin gently and raised it slightly with two fingers. Kallian was now looking straight into Leliana's eyes, and she tried her best to communicate her desperate need to her mistress. Leliana waited for a second or two, then nodded with a sense of satisfaction.

"You may." Leliana said simply, but that was all Kallian needed to hear.

It was the most blessed relief Kallian could have imagined. Her long-sought orgasm, which it seemed as though she had been waiting all night for, was finally coming. She began rubbing her pussy with abandon, ecstatic that she no longer had to maintain the cursed pace and tempo that she had been subjecting herself to. Kallian opened her mouth to shriek as soon as the first exquisitely pleasurable sensation began to emanate from her pussy to the rest of her body, utterly heedless of the fact that everyone in the camp would hear her.

Her lover did not allow her to do so, however. Her lover quickly kissed her and slipped her tongue inside Kallian's mouth at once to silence her. Kallian kissed Leliana back desperately even as conscious thought began to recede from her mind. All she could do was lie back and experience the absolutely earth-shaking orgasm that was rolling through every inch of her body.

* * *

Leliana kept her tongue firmly in Kallian's mouth and stroked her lover's hair all the way through her lover's lengthy and powerful orgasm. She was a little concerned that Kallian might lose consciousness, but her lover managed to hold on. Leliana broke their kiss after a short while, when Kallian was no longer intent on announcing her recent climax to every else in the camp.

That was quite the display. Clearly, they needed to experiment with edging more if Kallian was so receptive to it. Plus, Leliana was interested to see if she could get Kallian to the point where her city-elf lover was entirely reliant on receiving Leliana's permission in order to be able to orgasm at all. That sounded quite doable from what she had just seen.

Marjolaine had once told her that she had heard tales of submissives that could be trained to the point where they would climax on command and only on command. Although it would be quite nice to get Kallian to that point, it was probably just a story. Nothing to seriously pursue.

Leliana stood up and stripped off her traveling gear. She would discuss what she had learned with Kallian in the morning. Until then, she would sleep together with Kallian in the bedroll that her lover had helpfully warmed up for her. It wasn't far to Verchiel, while Leliana would no doubt have her hands full completing her mission, she also intended to take the opportunity to buy a few choice items for her newly trained maid. Leliana smiled at the thought and kissed Kallian on the cheek before closing her eyes.


End file.
